Dreading the past
by Dynexys
Summary: Sweeney goes to toss Mrs. Lovett into the bake oven, her seeing what he was about to do latches onto him knocking him to the floor... He leaves, but for how long?...
1. Chapter 1

He kneeled beside his dead wife, looking at her face in shock.

"Don't I know you? She said" he whispered to himself.

"Lucy!" Sweeney sang quietly, "Lucy! What have I done?"

Mrs. Lovett stood back in sorrow watching the man she loved hold his wife in his arms.

"You lied to me" he spoke

"No. No, not lied. I never lied. I told you she took a poison. I never said she died" She said quickly hoping he would understand the horrible mistake.

He did not care what she had to say, there was no way she could redeem herself for what she had done.

"Poor thing, she was not right in the head. Never would have been to look after she wouldn't. I told her to go see a doctor but she wouldn't have it. She didn't even know who she was." Mrs. Lovett tried to explain.

"Mr. T please, I tried to make her better I really did, please you have to hear me" she pleaded.

He was trying his best to ignore the woman who ruined his life, who tore his family apart.

He looked up at her eyes furious and cold. Tears were running down the woman's face as she had her back pressed up against the wall.

She was silent knowing there was nothing she could do to explain herself. He was hearing none of it.

He got up slowly, grabbing his razor which lay on the floor beside him. She knew this was it, this was the end he was going to kill her. She closed her eyes waiting to feel the cold metal of the razor slide across her neck but there was nothing.

She opened her eyes to see Sweeney smiling lightly at her, some how the fury and hatred she saw in his eyes a minute ago was gone, but replace but happiness.

He pulled her closer to him and started to twirl her around the bake house. She forgot all the worries she had a minute ago, all the thought of was the warmth of his body against hers and the velvet tone of his voice as they sang.

As they were twirling and singing the joy in his eyes suddenly turned into fury and hatred again and they approached the bake oven. She realised that he was going to kill her after all.

Just as he was about to throw the woman he hated more than anything in to world into the bake oven she latched onto him, knocking him backwards onto the floor her landing on top of he.

"Get off me!" he shouted pushing the woman off him and onto the floor.

He got up more furious and turned to look at her.

She was sitting on the floor sobbing quietly to herself, she looked up at him eyes full of sorrow, helplessness and agony.

After he saw the look in her eyes he couldn't bring himself to kill the woman.

He turned on his heels and walked out of the room, pausing only for a moment at the door.

"Good bye Mrs. Lovett" he said and stormed up the stairs into the shop.

"Good bye, Mr. T" She said after him.

Once he reached the shop he looked around for anything that might be of any use to him,

Seeing nothing he went up stairs to his barber shop, the familiar bell on the door rang as he opened it.

He gave the room a quick look over then entered it. He opened one of the drawers of his table grabbing the bottle of gin that lay inside. He pulled out the cork of the bottle, it was half empty due to his previous drinking's. He took a swig of the liquid and put in onto the table.

Looking around the room again he saw the broken mirror. He walked slowly up to it, seeing his warped reflection. He remembered when Mrs. Lovett brought him up here when he first returned to London, he punched the mirror shattering it even more causing pieces of the glass to fall to the floor. He looked down at his right hand which was now bleeding furiously. He swore to himself quietly and walked over to the table, he grabbed the cloth that was lying next to the bottle of gin and wrapped it around his injured hand, then he grabbed the bottle and took another large sip.

The blood from his hand was already staining the cloth; he hurried over to the window and grabbed his razors, and his jacket. Taking one final sip from the bottle he chucked it across the room letting it shatter against the wall. And with that, he left.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hope you like this chapter im just trying to get the basic outline of the story so if its a little boring im sorry_**

Mrs. Lovett sat on the floor sobbing. She heard the grate behind her lift and slide onto the floor but she didn't bother to look to see who was there.

"Mum? Are you all right?" Toby asked quietly.

She didn't answer him she sobbed quietly again.

"Mum? Why are you crying?... what did he do?" Toby asked again.

"He left" She sobbed, "He left, he just left"

"All this time you helped him, but why?" Toby asked

"Because I love him" She replied.

"How could you love a man who could do such horrible things?" Toby asked confused.

"He had good intensions, if you knew what he has been through you would understand" She explained, still sitting on the floor of the bake house.

"Lets get you upstairs" Toby said putting a hand on Mrs. Lovett's shoulder.

She slowly got up, with the help of Toby. He was strong for his age.

As they walked out of the room she paused at the door and turned to look at the room were her life had fallen apart.

They walked up the stairs and into her room.

Toby walked Mrs. Lovett to her bed and sat her down.

She sat there staring at the floor. Trying to process everything that had happen that night.

"Please mum, get some rest" Toby pleaded

"Don't worry luv. Please don't stay up" She replied.

Toby walked out of the room leaving Mrs. Lovett alone.

She lay down on her bed but with no intention on sleeping. She knew she was going to have to leave as soon as possible the word would have spread of what happened, she knew that the death of the judge would not have gone unnoticed.

As all these thoughts flooded her mind she seemed to have dosed off into a light sleep.

"Mum? Mum?" Toby whispered quietly, lightly nudging her shoulder.

"Hmm?" She mumbled.

"Mum, I think its best if you got up" Toby said

"Morning luv, what time is it?" She asked, a little more awake this time.

"1 in the afternoon" he replied

"What?!" She said.

"How did sleep that long?"

"You were mighty tired, its good you got some rest" he replied, slightly concerned of why she was so worried.

"We need go" She said, sitting up abruptly

"There aint no rush for us leavin" Toby said, even more confused

"Indeed there is luv, last night Mr. T killed the judge and the beedle" she replied

"Those two deaths wont go unnoticed"

"What d'ya mean mum?" Toby asked

"I mean we need to leave… today" she said getting up off the bed

"We best be off a soon as possible, grab what you need"

"Will do mum" he agreed.

As Toby darted out of the room, she turned to give hers a quick look over. She saw a small traveling trunk laying on the floor by her table. She walked over to it and threw it onto the bed, she flicked up the snaps and opened the lid. She grabbed some clothes from her drawers and her favorite pieces of jewelry. She came across a necklace that Sweeney had given her for her birthday, she felt a warm tear fall down her cheek, which she quickly brushed away.

"Mum?" she heard Toby asked from the door way.

"Yes luv?" she replied in a small voice

"You all right?" he asked

"Fine, just grabbing a couple of things" she said still holding the necklace

She walked over to the trunk and dropped it into the small box she put her other jewelry in. Once she had everything she needed into the trunk she picked it up off the bed. But it being quite heavy she stumbled to the side dropping the trunk and slumped down onto the floor.

Silent tears started streaming down her face.

"Mum, we ought to be on our way" Toby said putting hand on her shoulder.

"Right, of course" she said wiping the tears off her face.

"I'm sorry, its just…"

Toby cut her off

"It's all right mum we just need to get out of here"

She nodded her head and stood up. She bent down to get her trunk but Toby got to it first.

"Let me" he said grabbing her trunk.

She nodded again and they started walking to the door, she looked around her room once more then the bake shop. They walked past the stairs leading down to the bake house, Mrs. Lovett to in a sharp breath of air.

Toby noticed what was going on so he pushed her along trying to avoid the pain this place was causing her.

Once they got outside she saw that Toby had a carriage ready his bag already inside.

He walked up to the carriage and put Mrs. Lovett's bag beside his.

"Give me a minute luv" She called to Toby

"Alright mum" He said, watching her with worried eyes.

She walked up the stairs to Sweeney's barber shop, and opened the door. The bell chimed quietly. She stood in the doorway and looked into the room, it looked exactly the same except the broken mirror was even more broken, the drawer of the table was pulled out onto the floor and the bottle of gin smashed into pieces.

The pain of being in this room was to much for her, she turned to go down the stairs but something caught her eye.

On the table sat the picture of Lucy and Johanna…

"He didn't take it with him" she whispered to herself

"Mum! We aught to be leaving" Toby yelled from down the stairs.

She closed the door to the shop and walked down the stairs.

"Why did you go up there mum?" Toby asked

"I needed to see something" she replied, more to herself than to Toby.

"You sure your all right mum?" Toby said

"I'm fine luv, don't worry" she mumbled quietly


	3. Chapter 3

_**I had alot of trouble thinking of things to put in this chapter, i promise you it will get better soon... just bare with me.**_

Sweeney paced back and forth.

Thoughts flooded his mind. Two and half years had gone by since that dreadful night, and yet he found himself asking is what he did was right.

"Of course I had, she lied to me… she ruined the family I could have had" he said reassuringly to himself as he continued to pace the length of his shop.

Sweeney had found a nice quiet place just outside of London.

He opened a little barber shop on the end of a small street, Sweeney had given up with the killings, they no longer bring the satisfaction that they used to.

The town's folk rarely see Sweeney, mainly because he tends to keep to himself. They find him no threat just the neighborly barber.

He heard the bell on the shop door ring, interrupting his cluttered thoughts. He turned to see a young man standing in the door way.

"Are you Mr. Todd?" the young boy asked politely

"Yes I am" He answered, "And who might you be young lad?"

"James Christopher Johnson, at your service" he replied

"Well James, what might be your business here?" he asked slightly confused

"Clearly you have not come for a shave you are far too young for that"

"I'm looking for employment actually" James said rather shyly.

"Oh…" Sweeney replied

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" James started but Sweeney cut him off

"No, no its fine… I just never thought of having someone to help around the shop"

"I know its just a madam down the street told me you were working by yourself and maybe you would need some help" James explained.

"Well that very thoughtful of her" he replied

Sweeney never needed any help in the shop, but now that he thought about it, it did look rather run down… A little help cleaning would be no burden.

"All right James" Sweeney said  
"You can help me, I will pay you 2 £ to keep up the cleaning in the shop"

"Oh thank you Mr. Todd!" James exclaimed

"Now I need you to clean the front of the shop, make it look more presentable" Sweeney told him

"Yes sir!" James said

As James ran out the door to go to work, Sweeney slumped down into the barber's chair sitting in the middle of the room.

He sighed loudly.

_What am I to do? _He thought to himself.

He always felt horrible when his thoughts drifted away from Lucy, but he always seem to be thinking of Mrs. Lovett.

_I can't be missing her, I hate her._ He thought, clearly he wasn't convincing himself.

He stood up abruptly and started pacing again.

_How can this be, why are all my thoughts going to her? I should be thinking about Lucy NOT Mrs. Lovett I __love my wife, and only my wife. _

"Umm… Mr. Todd?" James asked quietly.

Sweeney looked up to see the boy watching him from the door frame.

"Are you all right?" he asked nervously

"I dunno" Sweeney replied.

--

"Mum?" Toby asked as Mrs. Lovett was rolling out some doe

"Yes dear?" she replied

"Do you think we could go down to the shops tomorrow?" he asked

"Of course luv" she said and smiled sweetly at the boy and went back to rolling the doe

Toby was pleased with the answer; he was trying his best to keep his mum's mind off of the wretched barber who broke her heart. He often finds her sitting by the window, crying silently to herself. He doesn't bother asking what's wrong anymore she never tells him but he kind of figures she misses the barber.

She's not as lively as she used to be, the rosy tint in her cheeks has faded. She doesn't whistle when she bakes anymore either. She just does what the day requires then goes back to sitting by the window, watching the sea.

"Great!" Toby exclaimed

She smiled at him.

"Any particular things you need from the shops luv?" she asked

"No I just felt like we needed a little trip is all" he replied

"Alright well we will close the shop early tomorrow and go down to the shops" she said

She finished rolling the doe and turned the knife sitting beside her, she started to cut the doe into the shapes for the cookies.

Mrs. Lovett opened a little bake shop, down by the sea were she always fantasized of living. Even though she has the house she always wanted it never feels the same without her beloved barber.

Although she knew he didn't love her, that still hasn't stopped her feelings for him.

Deep in thought she forgot about the knife in her hand, she let it slip onto the floor.

"Oops! Clumsy me" she said bending down the pick up the knife.

"Ill just go and clean this off then" she turned towards the sink.

"Mum?" Toby said "Why don't you let me finish off the shop for the night, customers are slow around this time and I think you need some rest".

"No its all right luv" she said " Don't you worry about me"

"Really, its no burden" he insisted

"All right, are you sure you'll be fine?" she said yawning slightly

"Ill be just fine mum, get some rest" Toby said, walking her to her room.

Once she got to her bed she sat down on the edge rubbing her neck, maybe she really was as tired as she thought.

But no matter how tired she was, she still couldn't keep the barber out of her thoughts.

I guess sleep was the best thing to cure that.

--

"I finished the front of the shop" James said proudly

"Did you now? That was rather fast" he said

James looked at him with confused eyes.

"Sir, its nine'o clock" James said, still watching Sweeney

He turned to look at the window, the boy was right it was dark out. Had he really been lost in his thoughts that long?

"Oh… Sorry I'm feeling a bit off today I guess" He replied

"S'all right sir" James replied

"Well thank you for you help lad, here is the 2 £ as promised" he said handing the boy the money out of his pocket.

"Do you need any more assistance sir?" James asked

"No that will be all for today, thank you" he replied "Come back at noon tomorrow"

"Yes sir" James said nodding once then walking out of the shop.

Sweeney was left alone again. He looked out of the window again, he couldn't believe what time it was. Had he really spent all day thinking… thinking about her?

_How could I have? Do I really hate the woman I thought I did for these years… Yet I find her the one flooding my thoughts. Not Lucy, not the woman I loved. But her, maybe I don't loathe._

Sweeney walked down the stairs of his shop, the familiar bell rang as he opened the door, reminding him of all the time Mrs. Lovett brought him dinner when he refused to eat with them. She treated him so well, how could he have not returned the favor. He thought of the day he gave her the necklace for her birthday, the way her face lit up with joy. It was the happiest he had ever seen her.

She loved him so much, could it be he loved her to?

All that time he was obsessing with his wife, he never had the time to think about Mrs. Lovett. But even though Lucy was dead now, and somehow she was not the woman in his thoughts.

_What have I done…?_ He thought to himself, he reached his room and pushed the door open. Kicking off his boots he lay down onto his bed.

_I shouldn't have left her._He thought. _But what she did… what she did, was only to spare me from the pain of seeing Lucy like that… All this time I thought she was trying to tear my family apart she was really trying to help me. Help Johanna._

Sweeney realized all of this quite suddenly. He needed to find Mrs. Lovett, he needed to find the woman he loved.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hope you all like this chapter as much as the others, it shows more of Sweeney's dedication and urgency to finding Mrs. Lovett**_

Sweeney woke up to the light coming through his window.

He sat up rubbing his eyes he found it odd he had slept so soundly, usually sleep didn't come so well to him.

He remembered his plans from the previous night. He had to find Mrs. Lovett, he quickly got up off of his bed and put on his boots. Walking to the door he grabbed his jacket and left the shop, he had one hour until James came by to clean.

He hurried down the stairs putting his jacket on as he went. The day was cool, so he was glad he thought to bring it.

As he walked through town he could feel many eyes on him, he didn't find this surprising seeing as he never really wandered the town much he kind of expected people to find this out of the ordinary.

Once he reached his destination, he opened the door to the shop. The man behind the counter looked at him in shock.

"May I help you Mr….?" the shop keeper clearly didn't know his name

"Mr. Todd" Sweeney answered.

"Well Mr. Todd, what may I help you with? The shop keeper asked.

"I need you to sharpen this razor" he replied holding up the razor he most frequently used.

The others were plenty sharp and were in no need of being taken in. Rarely did Sweeney ever trust his beloved razors with someone else but this was an emergency.

"I've never seen anything like this" The shop keeper said, looking in awe at the razor Sweeney was holding up.

"Sir, not to be rude but I'm in a bit of a hurry" he said, slightly frustrated

"Oh sorry, you only need it sharpened?" the shop keeper asked

"Yes" he replied

"Alright, it should be done in about five or ten minutes" the shop keeper told him

"Very good" he said "Ill be back then" and he walked out of the stoor.

Sweeney continued his venture into town, he walked into the town's bakery. The warm familiar smell of bread and pies swept him up into light a daze, he thought about Mrs. Lovett and her bake shop. The time he came in there looking for what remained of his past and came across her, how she sang about her pies being the worst in London.

"Sir, may I help you?" he heard the shop keeper ask. She was a small delicate woman, he had seen her wandering the streets once.

"Yes I would like a loaf of bread please." He replied.

"Lucky you, we 'ave one fresh out of the oven right here" she smiled lightly at him

She put the loaf of bread on the counter.

"How much?" Sweeney asked

"You look like a man in a hurry, let's just say its on the house" she replied

Sweeney looked at her in shock.

"Are you sure, its no problem for me to pay" he said.

"No, no no, take it… I can always make more" she insisted

"Alright" he agreed he had no time to argue with the woman

She placed the bread in a bag and handed it to him.

He smiled lightly at her and then left the shop.

As he walked back to the knife shop, he saw this man and woman following him. He looked back only to see them whispering to each other and watching him with cautious eyes.

"I'm causing no trouble" he yelled at them, making the woman jump "If you could please leave me be, it would be greatly appreciated" he continued. Although Sweeney had given up the killings, his anger was quite hard to control and he had a low tolorance for people.

The couple changed their route and went into the nearest store, he continued his way to the knife shop.

Once he opened the door, he saw the shop keeper polishing his knife.

"How much will it be?" Sweeney asked.

"2 £ " the shop keeper told him.

He took the money out of his pocket and placed it onto the counter.

He held his hand out for the razor. He shop keeper wearily placed it into his hand.

"It's a lovely knife" the shop keeper added. "Part of a set I imagine"

"Yes, they are" he replied slightly irritated, he had no intention on keeping a conversation with this man.

"Well I must be off" Sweeney added abruptly.

The shop keeper nodded once, and watched him leave.

Once he was out of the shop his pace quickened, he needed to grab his affects before the boy came by.

He reached the stairs and started to climb them with a furious urgency. Skipping them two at a time.

Once he reached the top he threw open the door, the bell rang angrily. He dropped his bag of bread onto the table and grabbed the box of razors; he placed the newly sharpened razors next to the six other. He closed the box and grabbed the bread, heading to the door he stopped in the door way, looking in one last sweep of the room, he saw nothing that was of need for the moment and once he had found Mrs. Lovett he would return to collect his other things.

He ran down the stairs and into the home portion of the shop, he went directly into his room dropping the razors and the bread on the bed. He turned to see the bag he brought from London, he snatched it up quickly and started stuffing it with anything he could find. He only owned two jackets, one of which he was wearing the other was for colder outings, it being a heavier jacket. He grabbed the razors and the bread off of the bed stuffing it in the bag along with the jacket and a shirt he had acquired in his time outside of London. He fastened the bag and walked into the living space, giving it a quick look over he saw nothing that he needed.

He heard a light nock on the window of the door.

"Come in!" He shouted

"Mr. Todd?" James asked politely.

James saw the bag that Sweeney was holding.

"Are you going somewhere?" James asked slightly confused

"Yes son I am" he replied "I need you to do something for me" he added

"Anything sir" James agreed almost instantly

"I need you to look after the shop while I'm gone" he said

"Where are you going?" James asked

Sweeney paused for a moment.

"Mr. Todd?" James said

"To find an old friend" he replied

"When will you be back" James asked

"I don't know, but I assure you when i return I will pay you for everything you have done during my absence" he said "Hopefully I will find my friend rather fast"

James nodded and Sweeney explained to him what he was to do in his absence.

Once he finished explaining to James, he shook his hand and turned for the door. He gave the place one last look, slung his back over his shoulder and walked out of the shop.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry this took so long... i was stuck on vacation and the computer was non compatible with fanfic... hope you like it just as much as the others... _

Humming quietly Mrs. Lovett closed the shop.

"Mum?" Asked Toby

"Yes dear?" She replied

"What do you want to for your birthday?" he asked rather excited

It was true, with all the rush of the shop Mrs. Lovett had completely forgotten her upcoming birthday.

"Mum?" Toby asked slightly concerned

"Oh, um… there's no need for a gift luv, your help round the shop is good enough for me" she replied

They started walking to the shops further in town.

"Mum please I insist" Toby pleaded

She turned towards the boy, he had grown so much in the past two years, he was nearly as tall as her.

She held his face in her hands.

"You're the greatest gift anyone could have" she said

She loved Toby dearly, like her own. She couldn't imagine what her life would have been like without him. She was glad that she didn't let Mr. T kill him all those years ago.

A warm tear ran down her face, she quickly brushed it away and continued walking.

"Your really miss 'im don't you…" Toby sad, his voice quite sad

"More than anything" she said "Its more because I know he's never coming back" her voice broke from holding back the tears.

"But enough of that" she tried to say cheerfully wiping her eyes. "Let get to the shops"

She quickened her pace, Toby did a quick jog to catch up to her.

"I still want to know what you want for your birthday mum" Toby insisted

"All right luv, I'll agree to a gift but I don't want to know what it is"

Toby nodded then smiled lightly at her.

She returned the smile as best as she could.

--

Sweeney had no idea were to look for Mrs. Lovett so he started with her shop on Fleet Street.

He had wandered into London a couple times before but never dared to go anywhere near Fleet Street.

As he walked down the street he saw Mrs. Lovett's shop, it hadn't changed a bit, the only difference was that there was no longer the same liveliness as he remembered.

He walked up to the good and gently nudged it opened. He had decided to make this trip during the night, mainly because he hadn't bothered to change his appearance over the years, so he was sure someone would recognize him.

Only shortly after he arrived outside of London he started to hear people talking about the Demon Barber and the Devil's Baker of Fleet Street.

The stories varied from them being dead to him killing the baker, which was his intention at the time.

Sweeney stood in the doorway, his thoughts flooding his mind.

He remembered Mrs. Lovett's face that night. He remembered the pain and sorrow in her eyes.

He shook the image from his mind and continued into the shop.

The was a thick layer of dust on everything in the shop. He made his way over to the living room, searching for something that might show him were she had gone.

He walked into the living room, it was the same as the front room, covered in a thick layer of dust, none of which was disturbed except for were he had walked, a set of footsteps followed him to where he was standing.

Seeing nothing he continued to look, he walked into Mrs. Lovett's room. Rage rose in his chest as he saw the mess of her room, the drawers of her dresser were pulled out and dropped on the floor, their contents spilled out beside them.

Clearly the authorities came looking the them after they realized that the Judge and the Beedle had been missing.

The anger continued to rise the more he looked around the room, whoever had come into this room and raided the chest in the corner clearly looking for money or other kinds of valuables.

Once he saw that there was nothing of any help to him in the room, he walked into the front of the shop pausing at the stairs that went up to his shop.

He climbed the stairs slowly, finally reaching the top he looked around at the mess of the room. The people who had raided the downstairs didn't seem to have touched this room, although it looked as if someone had tried to get the blood stains out of the wood floor.

The mirror he had smashed was still in pieces as well as the bottle he had thrown, he turned to go back down the stairs when something caught his eye, he turned to see what is was and saw the picture frame of his wife and child. He walked over to the table and picked up the small frame, he ran his fingers across the cold glass. Silent tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, then he got up and pulled out the drawer in the table and placed the picture inside.

He turned and walked down the stairs. Once downstairs he realize that it had gotten light out so he decided it would be best if he waited again for the night to leave, he dropped his back onto the bench by the table and lay down using it as a pillow.

--

Once Toby had finished finding Mrs. Lovett a gift they started walking back to the shop, Toby humming quietly, clearly satisfied with his purchase.

They reached the shop and Mrs. Lovett unlocked the door, she opened it quietly and walked into the shop, it was no different than how she left it.

"I think I'm gonna go get me some rest luv" she said to Toby rubbing her eyes

Toby nodded once then skipped off to his room, still humming quietly.

Mrs. Lovett walked into her room taking off her shoes, she started to work on her corset. She really was exhausted, about halfway down the corset she gave up and lay down onto her bed, dosing off into a light sleep.

--

Sweeney woke, he sat up only to feel a sharp pain in his back. The bench probably wasn't the best choice for a sleeping surface.

He got up slowly, stretching out the kinks he had received from the horrible sleep.

Looking out the window he saw that it was once again dark out so he decided to continue his search.

He looked around the shop one last time for any sort of clue of were Mrs. Lovett might be, just before he left his eyes came across a small painting of the sea.

He remembered about how Mrs. Lovett always wanted to live by the sea, the time she took him there and sang to him about what their life could be like.

He decided that going to the sea would be his best bet for finding her. He walked out of the shop, closing the door behind him

--

Mrs. Lovett woke to the sun shining, she could hear Toby working in the kitchen.

She got up slowly and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning mum!" Toby said enthusiastically

"Morning luv" She replied still rather sleepy.

"Are you all right mum?" he asked

"Toby I think we aren't going to open the shop today, I'm rather exhausted and I think we could bolth use a day off" she explained.

"Alight mum" he said " And besides, its Sunday and every other shop in town will be closed"

She nodded and walked back into her room, she could hear Toby's humming.

She lay back down on her bead and closed her eyes.

_Sweeney stood up from beside his wife._

_Mrs. Lovett watched him, eyes filled with horror. She watched his eyes change from hatred and loathing to kindness._

_He swept her up in his arms as they started to spin around the bake house, she forgot all of the worries she had earlier and focused only on the fact that her beloved barber had forgiven her._

_All of a sudden his eyes switched back to the loathing they were before, she realized were they were dancing._

_She tried to latch onto him as he threw her into the bake oven._

_She grabbed at the air and then hit the scorching pans in the oven, burning her flesh with impact._

Her eyes snapped open.

She was shaking slightly from the nightmare she got up and rubbed her eyes, she looked out of the window.

"Still light out, damn" she said to herself.

She could hear Toby singing quietly in his room, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie sitting on the counter, she started to nibble on it.

She sat down at the window, looking out towards the sea.

Just a dream she reminded herself, still shaking.

A tear ran down her face, it was just a dream but the reality was so much worse.

--

Sweeney finally reached a small town by the sea, it was night now. He had spent the entire day asking people were he might find a Mrs. Lovett, he finally came across a young man who told him that there was a Mrs. Lovett's bake shop in a small town down by the sea.

He walked into the town, a few couples were taking a late night stroll. He walked up and down the streets until he came across another young man.

"You wouldn't happen to know if there's a Mrs. Lovett's bake shop anywhere near by?" he asked.

"Actually yes there is, its about 5 streets down, you turn left and its on the end of the road" he replied

Sweeney shook his hand gratefully

"Thank you lad" he said enthusiastically.

He started walking at a very quick pace, almost a run.

1, 2, 3, 4. He got to the 4th street and stopped dead in his tracks. In all the excitement of finding Mrs. Lovett he had forgotten to think of something to say. What if she hated him for what he had done to her, what if he had lost his chance.

He slowly started walking to the 5th street and turned left, he continued to walk slowly keeping his pace even.

There were so many shops, which one was her's?

--

Mrs. Lovett decided she couldn't sleep any longer she decided to go out for an evening stroll.

"Toby!" she called "I'm going to go for a stroll, care to join me?"

"Sure mum!" he said enthusiastically running down the stairs.

"I made us a small picnic" she added holding up a rather large basket

"Sounds good" He smiled at her.

The walked out the front door and into the patio.

"Oh I forgot to lock up" She said turning to go lock the door

"S'all right mum, I got it" Toby answered taking the keys from her and running to the door "I'll catch up in a minute"

She opened the small gate to the court yard and stepped out.

--

Sweeney was almost at the end of the road now, he could see two people leaving a shop.

A woman and a man… No a boy. He looked up at the name of she shop, Mrs. Lovett's bakery. This was it, he had found her.

"Mrs. Lovett?" He called to the woman by the gate.

She didn't seem to notice him, he walked a little closer.

"Mrs. Lovett?" He called once again.

Head snapped up, she seemed to not be able to see who he was.

He quickened his pace, he could see her squinting in the dark.

She gasped loudly, dropping her basket. Toby turned his head to see what had happened. She was standing there, frozen in place, he could see a man in the distance walking towards her.

She couldn't move, she knew that he was going to come back and kill her. He approached her cautiously, oddly enough he did not seem angry, she saw no hatred in his eyes.

She took one step back.

"Mrs. Lovett?" he spoke gently.

What was happening, she didn't understand, if he wasn't here to kill her then why had he come?

Completely lost in her thoughts she didn't notice how close he had gotten, he was inches away now.

She looked up at him eyes full of confusion and horror. He thought for a moment, it clicked, she thought he was here to kill her.

He moved a little closer. Her eyes still watching him intently.

Toby realized who the man was and darted from the door, jumping the fence and running towards them.

He ran full tilt at the man, knocking him backwards slightly. He stumbled regaining his footing. Toby started punching him.

"HOW DARE YOU COME BACK!!" he yelled at Sweeney,  
"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY MUM AGAIN!!"

Sweeney grabbed his hands holding them together, Toby was strong for his age but still not as strong as him.

"I'm not here to hurt her" He said gently, his voice clear.

Toby struggled against him, Sweeney tightened his grip.

"Please, I swear I will not hurt her." He said letting go of the boy.

He stood up, Toby didn't seem to try and attack again so he turned towards Mrs. Lovett.

Her eyes still full of shock.

He couldn't stand it any longer, he pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't reply at first but then wrapping her arms around his torso she pressed her face against his chest, silent tears flowing from her eyes.

His arms loosened around her, he pulled her away from him.

She knew this was to good to be true, she looked up at him expecting to see disgust on his face but he was smiling brightly at her.

"W…why are you here?" she asked in a small voice, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Sweeney was confused, he thought she would be happy to see him.

"I... i…" he mumbled "I came to find you" he said, her eyes widened in shock.

"I, well… I … missed you"

She couldn't believe the words she was hearing, this cant be real this must be a dream, he hated her, how could he miss her.

"How can you miss me? You hate me" she said, now looking at her feet.

She felt his warm hand under he chin, he lifted her face up to look at him

This was it, he had to pour his heart out to her to get her to understand. Sweeney was never one to show or tell people his emotions so this was rather hard for him.

"I'm sorry" he said, her face still in his hands. "I'm sorry for everything I have done to you, I was so obsessed over the past, but the past is done… I've moved on, you were the one who helped me realize that there really is happiness out in this cold world. I don't hate you, I could never hate you" he explained "All this time I've been gone I could only think of you, it has been driving me mad. I love you Mrs. Lovett, I always have" he had nothing more to say, he just hoped that was enough to convince her that he meant everything. That he really did love her.

She stared at the man who she had loved for years, she studied his face looking for some kind of flaw in this perfect moment. She found none, only happiness and sincerity in his eyes.

"Do you truly mean all of that?" she asked

"Yes" he replied "every word"

"I love you to" she said hugging him tightly, feeling his warm body against hers. This moment could not get any better, she did not want it to end.

He figured she had accepted his apology, and figured that he was forgiven. He held her in his arms for what seemed like ages.

She pulled away from him, looking up at his face, eyes filled with joy. He stroked her cheek lightly and kissed her, at first she hesitated but then she let him deepen the kiss. Holding her close to him, he never wanted to let go. The kiss ended, he looked at her face, she was smiling brightly at him,

"Oh! Mr. T!!" she squealed throwing her arms around his neck.

He swung her up into his arms, she was very light. He heard Toby scoff in the background.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"You seem like you have plans" He said, looking at the basket on the ground.

He placed her gently onto her feet.

"I wouldn't want to impose on your evening"

She looked at him, eyes full of disappointment.

"Don't leave" she pleaded.

He pulled her into a tight hug. He chuckled lightly.

"I will never leave you" he said looking into her eyes "not as long as I live" he kissed the top of her head.

She smiled, and hugged him then went to go pick up the basket.

"We were on our way to 'ave a picnic" she said picking up the basket "care to join us?"

"I'd love to" he replied, taking the basket from her and putting his arm securely around her waist.

After the picnic they arrived back to the shop, Toby ran ahead to go open the door, he did not like Mr. Todd but he loved his mum dearly and she has happier than ever so this made him happy.

Sweeney dropped the basket onto the table, swinging Mrs. Lovett into his arms he walked to her room and placed her gently onto the bed.

He started to stand up but she pulled him close, kissing him passionately. He felt her hands working on the buttons on his vest.

He slid his hands down her back, unlacing her corset. Once she got through his vest, he pulled it off quickly then yanked off his shirt, kissing her again she ran her hands down his chest. He pulled her on top of him, he felt the warmth of her body against his, the smooth texture of her skin. He couldn't believe he had found her.


	6. Chapter 6

_I thought that there should be a little exitement other than Sweeney finding Mrs. Lovett... Hope you enjoy reading this one as much as i enjoyed writing it. Just wait for the next one :)_

The sun shone brightly the next morning, Mrs. Lovett didn't dare open her eyes, she was afraid that everything that had happened was just a dream. She could feel the rising and lowering of his chest. She slowly and cautiously opened her eyes, Sweeney had her in his arms sound asleep.

She wiggled her way closer to him, kissing him on the cheek.

* * *

She quickly got dressed and walked into the kitchen, she paused at the door and took one last look at Sweeney sleeping soundly on the bed.

Sweeney quickly got dressed and walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Lovett already at work.

"Morning luv" she said cheerfully

"Morning" he replied quietly, sort of in a daze.

Although Sweeney had found Mrs. Lovett his personality hadn't changed, he's still the quiet man who tends to keep to him self. People tend to perceive this as him being unfriendly but really its nothing like that.

"Something the matter?" she asked

He could hear the worry in her voice, he knew that it would take her awhile to trust him again. So he understood she couldn't help but worry especially after that night in the bake house.

"Nothing at all" he replied kissing her lightly on the head "Is there anything I can do to help?" he said looking around the kitchen.

"Can you cook?" she asked

"Not really"

"Hmm, well then not really" she chuckled

"Alright" He wasn't used to not being busy during the day.

Usually he was running his shop

"Well I guess I could venture to the town, see what it has to offer"

"All right" she agreed, and she went back to rolling the dough.

He walked out of the front door and turned down the street, he came across a small barber supply store.

As long as he was here he might as well pick up a few things. Once he got his supplies he walked back out onto the street.

It was a small town, he noticed that he had not seen a barber shop yet, this could offer a great opportunity for Sweeney.

On his way into town he saw a small shop for sale just down the street from Mrs. Lovett's bakery, he could open a shop there and move in with Mrs. Lovett.

As he continued around the small town, he noticed people watching him with weary eyes, he continued to walk ignoring the stairs.

That was one thing that bothered Sweeney, not that people started at him, but that they made no effort to hide it, they just gawked eyes wide.

He never understood why, he knew he didn't look like the average man, he still had the white streak of hair and wore darker more depressing clothing but still he didn't think it was that odd.

He glanced at a clock, it was already four o'clock, had he really been out that long?

Lost in his irritated thoughts for such a long period of time?

He decided it would probably be a good idea to head back to Mrs. Lovett's shop.

Maybe they could go to the beach tonight, have another picnic.

He turned onto her street and could see someone walking out of the shop, he didn't think much of it, probably just another customer.

He walked in the front door.

"Oh good you're here!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed happily "You've got a letter"

How on earth had anyone sent him a letter, no one even knew were he was.

He opened it.

It read.

September 7th. Dear Mr. Todd

Your probably wondering who this letter is from, I would be to if I was you.

It's Anthony, from London. I have to say it took great effort to find someone who knew were you had gone.

I sent this letter to ask you if you would join Johanna and I for a quiet get together down at the beach one week from today at seven o'clock in the evening.

I felt the need to thank you in person for everything you did for us back in London.

I do hope you attend.

You can finally meet our beautiful daughter

Sincerely,

Anthony & Johanna.

Sweeney dropped the letter, he looked up eyes full of shock.

"What's the matter?" Mrs. Lovett asked clearly very concerned

He didn't reply, no words would leave his mouth he just looked ahead, his hands still held out in front of him as if still holding the letter.

"Luv, what's wrong?" she asked again "Who was the letter from?"

She picked it up, and read it

"Oh dear" she said looking at him "That's in 2 days"

"Were not going" Sweeney said stiffly

"Oh c'mon now luv, don't be like that" Mrs. Lovett pleaded

"Were not bloody going!!" Sweeney shouted making Mrs. Lovett flinch slightly

Sweeney stormed out of the shop, razor in hand.

"Mr. T wait!!" Mrs. Lovett called after him but he was already gone.

Sweeney stormed down the street, clutching his razor in his hand.

He mind flooded with thoughts.

_Johanna… a child? But she was only a child herself._

Sweeney switched his hold on the razor grabbing the blade tightly feeling its sharp edges cut deep into his hand.

His thoughts did not subside but they did change.

_How could I have yelled at Mrs. Lovett like that, she is most likely convinced I'm leaving again, how could I have done that to her. _

_But Johanna, and Anthony…_ His grip tightened on the razor making it cut even deeper.

_I should never have let her run off with that boy, but there was so much going on that night, so much to keep me occupied._

Sweeney turned the corner. His stride just as wide as before, the speed had not changed at all.

He came across a small bench and sat down, dropping the razor beside him, he ran his hands through his hair, feeling the gash burn on his hand.

He looked down at his hand seeing that is was bleeding furiously, he knew that by the time he got back to the shop he would have lost a great amount of blood.

He picked up the razor and started back to the shop, as he had expected his vision started to blur. He knew the bleeding would subside soon but he had lost a great deal of blood.

Mrs. Lovett sat down on the chair crying lightly, she knew all this was to good to be true, she knew he would leave in the end.

She lay he head down on the table, and drifted into a light sleep.

Sweeney took awhile longer to get back to the shop, his pace had slowed, and he was no longer paying attention to were he was going which caused a lot of error in direction.

Once he got to Mrs. Lovett's street it was dark out, his had still bleeding but not as severely.

He walked up to the shop and opened the door. Stumbling inside, he knocked a bottle of gin over on the table, it rolled and shattered on the floor.

He used his good hand to stable himself against the wall, the room was swaying in front of him.

His injured hand was still holding the razor but not as tight, Sweeney found it kept his thoughts away.

Mrs. Lovett awoke abruptly to the sound of shattering glass, she looked up to see Sweeney steadying himself against the wall.

Something was wrong…

Sweeney dropped the razor letting it fall to the floor with the clang.

Mrs. Lovett looked down to see what he had dropped. The razor was covered in blood.

"Oh Mr. T you didn't?!" She said, automatically thinking he had killed one of the towns folk.

He shook his head.

She looked up at him, there was blood on his face leading into his hair.

Sweeney tried to walk forwards but only stumbled, his hand flew to the wall to steady himself again.

If he hadn't killed someone then where was all the blood coming from. She looked down at the hand that was holding the razor.

She gasped seeing the gruesome gash on the palm of his hand.

"Oh Mr. T!, what have you done?" She raced over to him.

He brushed her off.

"I'm fine" He said, still using the wall for support

"I'm sorry" he apologized "I shouldn't have yelled, I shouldn't have left… I said I would never leave"

Mrs. Lovett shook her head

"S'all right luv" she told him "Please let me help you, you've lost an awful lot of blood"

He shook his head in protest.

"I'm fine" he said once more.

He tried to take a step forwards but only stumbled his hand landing on the table.

Pain shot through his arm, he yelled in agony.

"Please Mr. T!!" Mrs. Lovett sobbed "Let me help you"

He shook his head once more.

"Please, I don't need …"

His knees buckle sending him to the floor with a loud thud.

Darkness swept over Sweeney's vision.


	7. Chapter 7

_Alrighty, this is basically to show exacly how hurt Sweeney was and also a prep for well you'll find out..._

Sweeney awoke slowly, his injured hand throbbing madly.

He could feel the bed underneath him and wondered how he had gotten there.

He tried to remember what had happened that night…

There was a lot of stumbling, and Mrs. Lovett crying.

He remembered hitting the floor and blacking out, and the letter, he remembered the letter.

Sweeney sat up abruptly, toppling off the bed. He threw his arms out instinctively sending his injured hand into impact with the wood floor, letting out a cry of agony.

He curled into himself, holding his hand close to his chest. His head pounding violently. His breathing quick and violent.

"Mr. T!" Mrs. Lovett shrieked causing Sweeney to wince slightly as his head throbbed more painfully.

She ran over to him crouching beside him she helped him sit up, using the edge of a bed for a support to lean his back on.

"What happened?" she asked extremely concerned

"Nothing" he said, he was not about to admit he had fallen off the bed.

"Well something must 'ave happened… are you alright?"

"I'm fine" he said through his teeth, the pain in his head was making it hard to concentrate.

Sweeney looked up at Mrs. Lovett, her face was tear streaked, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

"I'm fine, really.." he said kindly looking at her.

She nodded her head in acceptance

Sweeney was most definitely not fine but he did not want to worry Mrs. Lovett. She had done so much for him, he did not want to bring her any unnecessary worry.

"Can I see your hand?" She asked

He nodded

She reached for his injured hand, Sweeney flinched when she touched it. Sharp pain shot through his hand.

She looked down at him worried. He smiled at her the best he could trying to cover up the pain.

She unwrapped the bandage that she had put on his hand that night. The cut was stitched very poorly. The cut was clearly none accidental and very angry. Sweeney looked down at his feet, he did not want to be reminded of the reason why he had hurt himself in such a way.

"I…I… I'm sorry" he mumbled "I shouldn't have yelled, I should never have hurt myself… its just all the thoughts…"

"S'all right luv" Mrs. Lovett replied, wrapping his hand in a new bandage.

He shook his head in protest

"Its not…"he argued still shaking his head, he felt horrible for what he had done "I should have never…" he stopped talking his voice shaking.

She pulled him into a tight hug, then stood up.

"I'll be outside" she said, figuring Sweeney would need some time to himself.

He nodded.

Sweeney pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them resting his head on his knees.

_One more day until the get together with Anthony and Johanna. _

He sighed

_We might as well go, I mean what's the worst that could happen… I said I'm over the past and this will show whether I am or not. _

He rubbed his eyes with his good hand, then got up slowly using the bed for support.

Walking into the small loft room he sat down on the couch.

_Well… I got to tell Mrs. Lovett that we are going tomorrow. _He thought to himself

Sweeney got up abruptly and marched over to the kitchen Mrs. Lovett looked over at him, still rolling the dough on the counter.

He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it quickly and walked back into the loft room.

_But what if something does happen, what if Anthony has been abusing Johanna! I'll lose my temper and then I might do something I regret. _

_But I mean I said I was over the past I mean this could be how I show I am. _

He walked back into the kitchen Mrs. Lovett watching him intently.

He gestured with his hand that he was going to say something but then marched back to the loft room once again.

_What if she hates me, what if she is disgusted by the thought of me being her __father? I mean what if Anthony knew, would he still have invited me?_

Sweeney was never this indecisive, nor did he ever argue mentally with himself.

_We're going! And that's that, I'm not changing my mind… I know I will regret it if I don't. Oh Bloody Hell! This is so frustrating._

He was pacing the length of the loft room, so lost in his argumentative thoughts he didn't notice Mrs. Lovett standing by the door way watching him with curious eyes.

"Umm Mr. T?" she asked

"That's it! We're going!!" He declared loudly

Mrs. Lovett chuckled quietly then went back into the kitchen.

Sweeney continued to pace lost in his thoughts once again.

_The boy… what about the boy, does Toby remember Anthony? Did he even meet him for that matter? Will he behave without telling them about the killings back in London, surely he knew. _

_What time is it at? _

Sweeney started searching frantically for the letter.

"Have you seen?..." he asked Mrs. Lovett was interrupted by her pulling the letter out of her apron.

"Thanks" He said snatching the letter quickly and walking back into the loft.

He read the letter quickly skimming through most of the words.

_Seven! It's at seven o'clock, alright. __I can handle that._

He walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes he was asleep in minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry this took so long you guys, school has kept me pretty busy... i know how frustrating it is when things aren't updated frequently. Anyway's hope you guys will enjoy this, the next chapter will have a little more Toby in it... but for those who love Toby, you might not like it _

Mrs. Lovett woke slowly, as usual Sweeney had his arms around her. He was so handsome when he was asleep, she meant to tell him that one day but he doesn't take compliments to well.

She chuckled quietly to herself, he was quite a kind man but had an uncontrollable anger and tended to be quite cold. She thought nothing of it, that's just how he was.

"Hmm?" He mumbled half asleep.

Her laughing must have woken him up.

"Sorry luv" she said feeling slightly guilty, she never liked waking him up, he already so much trouble sleeping.

"S'all right" he said groggily rubbing his eyes with his good hand "What time is it?"

She looked over at the clock.

"Ten o'clock in the morning" she replied

The shop was closed for the long weekend.

"Mmm" he moaned tiredly in protest letting his head fall back against the pillow.

She rested her head on his chest, he pulled her closer.

"You know luv" she started

"Hmm?" he said half asleep once again

"Never mind" she decided she did not want to try a compliment on him right at this very moment.

"Alright" he said more of a mumble than actual words.

--

"Are you ready to go?" Mrs. Lovett asked a day dreaming Sweeney as he sat by the kitchen table.

"Mr. T?" she nagged "You there?"

"Hmm?" Sweeney replied snapping back to the present time

"You ready to go?" She asked again.

Sweeney swallowed hard, and nodded once, getting up from his chair he walked over to the door and held it open for Mrs. Lovett.

They decided to leave Toby at home, mainly to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Mrs. Lovett knew that Sweeney was rather reluctant to going to this outing.

--

Sweeney could see the beach now. Mrs. Lovett looked over at him, his eyes fixated ahead.

"S'all right luv… everything will be alright" she reassured him.

He nodded but did not dare say anything, he was straining to keep his temper under control.

He had his injured hand hovering unnoticeably beside his razor, which was tucked comfortably in its sheath.

As they walked onto the beach Sweeney could see a young couple and a child sitting on the sand.

They approached the couple, Sweeney looking down at his feet.

"Mr. Todd!" he heard Anthony exclaim.

He looked up slowly to see the young boy rushing towards him. He glanced quickly to Mrs. Lovett beside him who smiled kindly at him

"It's so good to see you" Anthony said enthusiastically shaking his hand.

"Like wise" he replied numbly.

"It's good to see you to Mrs. Lovett!"

"Please come sit" Anthony gestured to the small blanket on the sand.

He walked over with him, he could see who was most likely Johanna sitting on the blanket holding a small child in her arms.

Sweeney was still looking down at the sand Mrs. Lovett close by his side.

As they approached the blanket Sweeney looked up from the sand to see Johanna staring at him with wide eyes.

He looked over at Mrs. Lovett who was staring at him with a look of confusion on her face.

Anthony cleared his throat.

"Johanna this is Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett, Mr. Todd this is my lovely wife Johanna" he introduced them.

Johanna stood up abruptly.

"You… you're the man who killed judge Turpin and the Beadle, and who had almost killed me." She said in a small voice.

"Oh now luv, you must be mistaken, Mr. T would never." Mrs. Lovett explained

Johanna eyes were still wide at Sweeney.

He suddenly realized that she was the young lad who had snuck into his shop that night, the one he told to forget his face, which clearly she had not.

"Please…" He begged

"I did it for good reason, I did not know who you were, I thought you were a young lad who was looking for trouble" He explained

"It's just… He took everything from me, I needed from revenge" he continued "He took my wife and my child" Sweeney looked back down at the sand Mrs. Lovett put her hand on his shoulder.

Sweeney was silent

"Who was your wife?" Johanna asked

"Your mother…" he said quietly

Johanna gasped at looked over at Anthony who was staring at Sweeney in shock

"Please… I beg for your forgiveness…" Sweeney started

"You're her father?" Anthony interrupted "All this time you could have told me"

"I know… I'm sorry" Sweeney apologized

"What about her mother?" Anthony asked

Sweeney took in a sharp breath of air, he looked up quickly, he could feel his grip on his temper begging to slip.

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

"There was an unfortunate accident" Mrs. Lovett started "She got down into the bake house and in her mental condition she had fallen into the oven" she explained.

Sweeney looked at Mrs. Lovett then back at the sand.

Johanna sobbed quietly as Anthony pulled her into his arms.

"Please forgive me Johanna, I did not mean to harm you in any way… I think I would be best if we were on out way" Sweeney said through his teeth his eyes still watching the sand.

"No please stay" Johanna said in a shake voice "I'm sorry, this is so much information, please sit and enjoy dinner with us"

Sweeney nodded accepting their invitation.

--

Sweeney sat on the beach Mrs. Lovett at his side. He did not say much that evening, he just sat and ate the sandwiches that Johanna had made.

As the sun went down, they said their goodbyes.

Sweeney shook Anthony's hand and turned to say goodbye to Johanna.

"I'm sorry one again for everything" he explained

"Please no need, you did what you thought was right"

Sweeney nodded and started to turn away.

"Mr. Todd?" Johanna called, Sweeney turned to face her.

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Sweeney returned the gesture, he never thought he would be able to hold his child again.

"Will we get to see you again?" She asked looking up at him

"I would very much enjoy that" Sweeney replied.


	9. Chapter 9

_**So basicaly i dont really like Toby, so i wanted to to a Toby smack down... sorry if you dont like it, i tried my best **_

Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett walked back to the shop, the warm sun setting in front of them.

"Mr. Todd?" Mrs. Lovett asked

"Hmm?" He replied

"I was thinking… Johanna and Anthony look real happy, married and what not. And I was thinking maybe, you and me we could…"

"Get married?" Sweeney finished.

"Mhm..." She said in a small voice.

Sweeney was silent

"I'm sorry it was just a silly thought" She rambled. "I mean if you don't wanna I understand…"

Sweeney put his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"No it's not silly, not at all" He said kissing her lightly on the top of her head.

--

Sweeney sat on the sofa humming quietly as he watched Mrs. Lovett make dinner.

He had offered to help, but seeing as he has no idea how to cook she said it would be better if he just relaxed.

He could hear Toby walking around upstairs.

_What is that boy up to? _He thought to himself.

He did not like Toby, and nor did Toby like him. The boy had a rather foul attitude towards him, which is understandable seeing as what he had done to Mrs. Lovett by leaving her.

Sweeney did not know what she was like those two years he was gone but only had a faint idea that it was quite horrible.

--

Sweeney sat at the end of the table eating his dinner in silence. He could see Mrs. Lovett staring awkwardly from him to Toby, he knew that she wished they got along but Sweeney wasn't one much for kids other than his own.

He tried to eat his dinner as quick as possible, but seeing as his right hand was still severely injured he had to use his left, which was unfortunately quite uncoordinated and clumsy.

Once he had finished his dinner he walked into the kitchen and placed his plate on the table.

He heard foots steps behind him and turned to see Toby standing in the door frame.

"Did she forgive you?" Toby said coldly

"Yes, she did" Sweeney replied quickly, he knew instantly who he was talking about.

Toby scoffed "That's a surprise, I thought she would push you away, be disgusted by you"

"And why did you think that" Sweeney asked

"Because you killed the Judge and the Beadle, and not to mention her mother, your own wife" Toby said clearly trying to upset Sweeney

Sweeney curled his hands into fist, his short nails digging into the cut in his palm.

"I know…" Sweeney said through his teeth "If you knew why I had done it you would understand" He tried to explain but was more trying to convince himself than Toby.

"Killing her mother was an accident, I did not mean to, If I had known I would have never…"

"Would have never what, slit her throat open, and then you would have lived happily ever after" Toby said in a mocking voice. "You would have left Mrs. Lovett, alone and broken"

Sweeney looked down at the floor, his grip on his anger slipping inch by inch.

"How can you live with yourself, after all you have done… After all you did to Mrs. Lovett, you left her broken and bleeding" Toby accused Sweeney

Sweeney's grip on his anger slipped again, leaving in only inches away from being ripped out of his grasp.

He dug his nails deeper into his hand, clenching his teeth he tried to stay as calm as possible.

"And yet you still walk around like you did nothing, like you deserve the life you have" Toby's voice was getting louder.

"You almost killed Mrs. Lovett, just like you killed your wife" Toby took a step towards Sweeney, who was still looking at the floor.

"Back up" Sweeney said quietly through his teeth, which Toby clearly did not hear.

Toby took another step forwards.

Sweeney's hands were now shaking with fury.

"Back up" He said through his teeth again, barely audible.

Toby took another step forwards, now within reaching distance of Sweeney.

"And now you expect to come back and pretend like nothing has happened, and get married and live the life you could never have" Toby said his voice raised.

"Back up" Sweeney said louder this time so Toby could hear him.

"Why should I?" Toby said now teasing Sweeney "You should have died along with your pathetic wife" He shouted at Sweeney.

"Shut up" Sweeney mumbled

"And while you at it, why doesn't your daughter join you to" Toby's voice almost at a yell now.

Sweeney's grip on his anger slipped, the force which was holding it back clenching at the open air.

His eyes burned ember with fury.

Toby opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.

"SHUT UP!" Sweeney yelled his arm flying out grabbing Toby by the throat.

He slammed the boy into the wall.

Mrs. Lovett came running around the corner.

"MR. T!! NO!!" She screamed running over to him.

She grabbed his arm trying to pull him off a choking Toby.

"Please Mr. T, you'll kill 'im" She shouted pulling at Sweeney's arm.

Toby was struggling to try and breathe, his face turning red.

"MR. TODD!! YOUR KILLING HIM!!" Mrs. Lovett screamed.

Sweeney let go of Toby throwing Mrs. Lovett off his arm sending her to the floor.

He turned back to Toby who was panting madly with his hands at his throat.

Sweeney backhanded Toby across the face, a loud crack echoed throughout the room.

"I swear boy if you ever say anything about my family ever again, I will rip your throat right out" Sweeney said through his teeth.

Toby looked up at Sweeney who was looming dangerously over him.

Sweeney watched the boy stare at him, his eyes full of terror. His anger did not subside but he did not want to do anymore damage then what had been done, he turned on his heels and walked over to the bottle of gin that lay on the table.

He picked it up and walked out the door.

--

He walked down the street, his skin felt hot against the cool air. As he walked he took large swigs of the gin, he could feel its affect begin.

He continued to wander the town, stumbling a little more often now, the bottle half empty and he was a good distance away from the shop.

His vision had started to blur, he knew that the gin was starting its effect, which was his intention.

He lifted the bottle up to his lips and finished the last of its contents, chocking on the taste he wiped his mouth and started back towards the shop before he forgot where it was.

He stumbled towards the shop, usually he was a very violent drunk but seeing as there was no one around to provoke the violence he was oddly calm.

Finally reaching the gate, he struggled to open it. Once inside the small patio he tripped over the set of metal chairs and tables.

Going to sit down, he missed the chair entirely falling to the hard floor cursing loudly.

He let his head fall to the ground and lay there trying to focus. His vision stated to narrow and get darker, he watched dazed at the darkness took over his vision.


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry i've been crazy busy... lots of test at school, friggen highschool can suck sometimes. Anyway this chapter is just a mellow short one to kinda spread out the drama... You know to much drama can kill a person xD Anyway hope you enjoy it._

Sweeney felt someone shake his shoulder lightly. Groaning he rolled over onto his side, his head pounding violently.

"Mr. T?" Mrs. Lovett said cautiously, even then calm sound made his head throb more.

"What…" He said, his voice sour.

"You're sleeping on the patio" She said, chuckling quietly

Sweeney tried to remember the night before. He thought about Toby, and how Mrs. Lovett tried to help him, he remembered throwing her onto the floor.

"Mrs. Lovett?" He said sitting up abruptly, instantly he regretted the movement, a sharp pain shot into his temples. He put his head on his knees and rubbed his temples with his index and middle fingers.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, his voice muffled by his knees.

"I'm fine… You're the one who's not alright dear, you drank and entire bottle of gin all to yourself. And let me add, it was a mighty large bottle." She said kneeling beside him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you inside dear"

He nodded slightly, his head throbbed once again, he remembered why he did not drink much… no amount of relief was worth this.

He got up slowly, his back aching from sleeping on the hard patio. They walked into the shop, Toby sat quietly glaring at Sweeney.

Sweeney paid no attention to the boy, he knew that there was a strong chance he would lose his temper again and that there was a small chance Mrs. Lovett would be able to stop him this time.

They reached the bedroom, he lay down cautiously on the bed, trying not to make any sudden moves that would make his head throb more intensely.

"Have a rest dear, I'm sure you will feel better once you sleep a little" Mrs. Lovett said gently kissing him on the cheek.

She turned to walk away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to face him.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you last night, my temper is just… I don't know what I'm doing when I get angry. I'm truly sorry, I did not mean to" He looked at her, his eyes full of sympathy.

She smiled lightly. "I know dear… I understand your temper, I'm used to it… Over the years your feelings may have changed, but your temper and patience has not." She chuckled, her smile widened.

He sat up and kissed her then watched her walk out of the room.

--

Mrs. Lovett sat next to Toby at the large table.

"What's wrong luv?" she asked, although she had a good idea of what was bothering him.

"How can you love him?" he asked, clearly talking about Sweeney.

"Because he's a good man" she explained "You only see the bad in him, but he really is a kind and caring person. Yes he may have a short temper, but that's just who he is… that doesn't make him a bad person" she finished

"Yes but killing all those people does." Toby stated coldly.

"Toby dear, do you know why he did that?" She asked

"He needs no reason, a murder is a murder." Toby replied not caring what she had to say.

"All those killings were leading up to the judge… He was getting revenge" she explained.

"Revenge for what, what did the judge ever do to him" Toby asked in a monotone voice.

She explained how he had been taken from his wife and child, how the judge had raped her and taken his child. How his wife had tried to poison herself, and how he did not know who she was and that her death was truly accidental.

Toby stared at her in disbelief.

"All that happened to one man?" Toby asked shocked.

Mrs. Lovett nodded.

"And yet he still stays so happy, well mostly" Toby continued still shocked.

"Yes… But his temper was never like that, the years of torture he endured have turned him into a cold man. But he is still capable of caring, and realizing his mistakes. I love him for his flaws, for the fact that he is so raw and human and not the perfect gentleman that every woman looks for. I love him for not trying to change for anyone, for staying true to himself" Mrs. Lovett explained. "I don't ask you to like Mr. Todd but at least try not to anger him, I'm not sure if next time he will stop" She finished.

Toby nodded stiffly. "Alright mum" he agreed.

"Thank you dear" she said hugging Toby.

She looked out the window only to notice that it had grown dark out. Had they really been lost in conversation so long?

"I think I would be best if you went to bed" She told Toby, looking at his tired worried face.

He nodded in agreement, "We 'ave to open the shop tomorrow" he said smiling lightly.

"That's right luv" she said thoughtfully, she had not realized that so much time had gone by but yet it was still on one week since Sweeney had found her.

Toby ran up the stairs to his bedroom.

She walked quietly into her room, Sweeney was sleeping soundly on the bed. She kicked off her shoes, unlaced her corset and climbed in beside him.

"Hmm?" He mumbled groggily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She said softly.

"Don't be sorry love" he said softly, he smiled lightly. Placing his arm around her he pulled her close to him, she rested her head on his chest.

His steady heart beat was oddly calming.

_Only a week he has been here but yet so much has happened… _She snuggled closer to him, drifting off into a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Alright, sorry this took so long... school has really been hecktic, anway i hope you enjoy it. I'm sorry if you think its a little stupid. Let's just say i used Caps Lock alot in this chapter. _**

Sweeney slowly slid his arm out from under Mrs. Lovett, trying his best not to wake her.

He walked over to the door and slipped on his boot, finding a small piece of paper he wrote Mrs. Lovett a note. He placed it gently on the bed beside her and walked out into the kitchen, grabbing his long overcoat he walked out into the cold morning air.

---

Mrs. Lovett awoke slowly, only to find the bed beside her empty.

A small piece of paper lay beside her, she picked it up lightly and read the neatly writing words.

_I've gone to fetch the rest of my things._

_Be back before you close the shop._

_Love_

_Sweeney _

Swinging her legs off the bed she got up and began to get dressed.

Once ready she walked into the kitchen, Toby had already started prepping the ingredients for that day.

"Morning mum!' he said cheerfully.

"Morning dear" she replied smiling warmly.

The two of them started to bake the good before they opened, just in case someone needed and immediate order.

"I think we'll be mighty busy today" Toby said, cutting out the shapes of cookies.

"As do I my dear" Mrs. Lovett replied as she rolled out the dough.

---

Sweeney stood in front of his shop.

It looked as if no one lived there, but that it was still in good shape.

James definitely earned his pay.

He walked into the shop, continuing to the back where the house portion started.

He walked into his room and grabbed a small trunk that lay by the end of the bed, stuffing clothes and other items into it.

Once he had gotten everything he needed, he lifted the trunk into the front of the shop.

Leaving the trunk by the door, he walked into the street. He needed to fetch a coach to return back to Mrs. Lovett's shop, for he had no intention on walking with all his things.

As he wandered he came across a man sitting on an unoccupied carriage, he walked up to the man and cleared his throat.

"Good Morning Sir!" the man exclaimed cheerfully.

"Morning..." Sweeney said numbly.

He had forgotten how much he hated people.

"How may I be of service sir?" the man asked

"I need you to take me to this address" Sweeney said handing the man a small piece of paper.

The man nodded "I know where that is, but the fee will be 5£"

"That won't be a problem" Sweeney replied "I need you to meet me in front of that shop" he pointed to his shop down the street "in exactly 20 minutes, I'll pay you when you arrive"

The man nodded, accepting the task.

Sweeney thanked him with a light hand gesture and walked back down the street.

When he returned to his shop, James was standing by the door.

"Mr. Todd!" James cried enthusiastically.

"Morning James" Sweeney said, trying to put some enthusiasm into his voice.

"How was your trip, did you find who you were looking for, are you here to stay?" James asked.

"It was good, I did indeed find who I was looking for, and no unfortunately I'm not" Sweeney replied annoyed by the boys rapid firing of questions.

"I'm glad you found them… that's a shame you're not staying"

"Why have you returned then?" James asked

Sweeney sighed, _more questions_, he thought.

"I'm only here to grab the rest of my things and pay you the money I owe you." Sweeney said, trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. He handed James the money, who pocked it immediately.

"Thank you very much Mr. Todd, will you be needing my services any longer?" he asked.

"As grateful as I am for your help, I will in fact no longer be needing it." Sweeney said trying to sound as sincere and kind as possible.

"Alright, well it was nice meeting you Mr. Todd and a pleasure working for you" James said shaking Sweeney's hand, and with that he was gone.

Sweeney turned and headed to fetch the remainders of his belongings.

Once he had everything he could find that he needed he waited for the coach to arrive.

---

Customers filed through the front door of the shop, they all asked politely for that they needed.  
Mrs. Lovett didn't mind most of their attitudes, except for a few customers who were in no way courteous, but Mrs. Lovett served them none the less and sent them on their way.

Toby was helping her with the baking. As they baked a man walked up to the counter and cleared his throat.

Mrs. Lovett went to greet the man, as she reached the counter she was that he looked rather angry.

"How may I help you" she asked politely.

He looked at her, his eyes full of disgust and disapproval.

"I need two loaves of bread and a dozen of your finest cookies: he said sourly "And try to get them done _before _I fall asleep" he said, his voice acidic and harsh.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Lovett asked, confused by the man's rudeness and hostility.

"You heard me baker, now get to it" he said forcefully.

Mrs. Lovett looked at him in shock, never once had she had a customer treat her like this.

"Exactly who do you think you are?" she demanded, extremely offended.

"I am a man who would like you to start bloody working" he shouted.

"Sir, I think you should mind your attitude" she insisted

"Why should I…" he continued

---

Sweeney walked up to the shop, he thanked his driver and walked to the door.

As he approached he could see Mrs. Lovett, she looked as if in an argument with someone… someone whom he did not know.

He put down his trunk and slowly opened the door.

Just as he entered he heard the man say.

"Why should I? your nothing but a whore with a shop"

Sweeney stiffened, his hand came down to the razor at his waist.

"EXCUSE ME!!" Mrs. Lovett shouted.

Sweeney stood aside and waited.

"I think it's best if you leave" she demanded pointing to the door.

"No, I asked for bread and I want the damn bread!" the man declared loudly.

"She asked you to leave" Sweeney said firmly from the side of the room.

Mrs. Lovett jumped, she had not noticed him there.

"Who the bloody hell are you?!" the man asked.

"She asked you to leave, so I recommend you leave" Sweeney replied, more fiercely this time.

"You've got no bloody right to tell me what to do" the man scoffed.

Sweeney had no intention on holding back any of his anger. If he killed the man so be it, this would be a life he would be glad to take.

"Why don't you just bugger off and leave this between me and her, eh?" the man walked up to Sweeney.

Sweeney watched him as he approached, waiting for the right moment.

As the man continued to approach, Sweeney watched his movement. He seemed rather slow and he decided to use that to his advantage.

"Did you hear me?" the man asked "I said bugger off" he poked at Sweeney's shoulder.

Sweeney grabbed the razor and flipped it open. He pressed his hand against the man's forehead, slamming him into the wall. He brought the blade up to his neck. The man stood in shock at the speed Sweeney had used, this all happened so fast he had no time to react.

Sweeney dug the blade deeper into the man's neck, he heard one of the customers gasp behind him then mumble to a neighbour, he paid no attention to them.

The man struggled feebly against his tight grip.

"Now" Sweeney continued "she asked you to leave" Sweeney grabbed the bread of the counter and slammed the back into the man's chest "take your bread and leave"

Sweeney reached into the man's pocket and pulled out the money, placing it on the counter.

The man nodded, Sweeney brought down the blade and pushed him out the door.

Sweeney snatched up his trunk and headed for the back of the shop.

He could feel the gaze of the customers burning into the back of his head.

---

Once Mrs. Lovett served the last of the customers, she closed up the shop and walked to the back.

Sweeney was sitting in the living room, quietly staring at his hands. She could tell he was shaking slightly.

Mrs. Lovett sat down in the chair across from him.

Sweeney did not look up from his hands, in fact he hadn't moved an inch.

She waited a moment, seeing if he would say something

"Well…" she asked.

Sweeney didn't budge.

"Hello? You there?" Mrs. Lovett nagged.

She wondered if something was wrong.

Still Sweeney said nothing

"Will you please bloody say something?" she asked, getting frustrated.

Sweeney moved his eyes from his hands but did nothing else.

"Bloody hell! Firs you hold a knife to a man's throat and how this, what's with you today" Mrs. Lovett asked, she could feel her temper rising.

Very rarely did she get angry, but that day was rather ridiculous.

Sweeney looked up at her, his eyes were cold. She hadn't seem him look at her like that for awhile, something was wrong.

"Well… you gonna tell me what's wrong? Or' you gonna sit there like a silent fool?" she demanded, her patience was non existent at the moment.

He continued to look at her, some how his eyes had gotten colder, she stared into them, they were black and empty.

"You know first I deal with you threatening people in my shop, and now I have to deal with this" she continued "I should have been the one in a bad mood, which now thanks to you I am." Her voice was raising to a shout.

"I was going to kill him…" Sweeney mumbled, barely audible

"What?" Mrs. Lovett asked "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that, would you like to grave us again with your all mighty words" she said sarcastically.

Sweeney could feel the anger he was trying to push down from earlier rise.

"Or is talking now beneath you?" she added.

Sweeney jumped up.

"I WOULD HAVE FUCKING KILLED HIM… ENDED HIS LIFE RIGHT THEN AND THERE. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR? HMM?" his voice rang through the house.

He that she had her back pressed against the chair, but this didn't bother him.

"I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM AND I WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IT. I AM BECOMING THE MAN I THOUGHT WAS GONE FOREVER, THE MAN I FEARED TO RETURN… IF YOU ARE SO LONGING FOR DEATH THAN MAYBE SOMEONE SHOULD DIE" Sweeney's eyes were furious, she understood the reason behind his reaction but this did not sooth her anger.

She stood up, now angrier than she had ever been.

"YOU BASTARD" she screamed her voice high and strained.

"TWO YEARS YOU LEFT ME BROKEN. TWO YEARS I SPENT CRYING EVERY NIGHT WISHING YOU WOULD RETURN. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU" her voice was shaking now

Sweeney took in a deep breath, he had never used the full intensity of his voice towards anyone before, he was in fear of what it might do, but that fear was gone now and replaced by pure rage and anger.

"I HURT YOU?!?!?" He roared "YOU LIED TO ME ABOUT MY FAMILY, YOU TOLD ME MY WIFE HAD DIED LETTING ME KILL HER"

Mrs. Lovett's eyes widened, she took in a sharp breath. She had never heard anything so terrifying in her life.

"AND NOW EVEN THOUGH I HAVE COME BACK TO YOU, YOU ARE STILL CONVINCED I'M LEAVING. WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO GO TO? HMM?" his voice was powerful and terrifying, he knew he was scaring her. "I LOVE YOU, ALL I WANT IS FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, I THREATENED THAT MAN TO PROTECT YOU. I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU" he took in another deep breath, this was going to be the loudest his voice could go.

"IM _NOT _LEAVING, IM NEVER BLOODY LEAVING UNLES YOU ASK ME TO. I LOVE YOU. AND LIFE WITHOUT YOU WOULD TEAR ME APPART… IT WOULD BE UNBEARABLE" when he had finished he was panting.

Mrs. Lovett's eyes were huge with fear, her hand found the rolling pin in her apron.

As Sweeney took a step forwards, she launched the rolling pin at him.

Sweeney saw the rolling him coming towards his face at high speed, he contorted his body to try and avoid a direct blow. He felt the cold marble of the rolling pin graze his skin, leaving a thin cut along his cheekbone. He turned his head to follow the direction of the rolling pun, as he did so, the handle came in contact with the back of his head causing him to stumble to the floor.

"OH MY GOD!!!" Mrs. Lovett cried as Sweeney fell.

As he fell he hit the ground with a loud thump. He sat for a moment, dazed trying to keep his consciousness.

"Shit" Sweeney said loudly, falling back onto the floor as the consciousness he was trying so hard to keep was swept away by darkness.

Mrs. Lovett stared in shock at what she had done, she had no intention on hitting him._ Hell I didn't even mean to throw the bloody thing._ She thought to herself.

She slumped down beside him, tears flowed steadily down her face.

"I've gone and killed him…" she squeaked.

---

Sweeney awoke slowly to the warm familiar feeling of blood running down his face.

Sitting up, he touched his cheek, his fingers were immediately covered with blood. Cursing quietly he wiped his hand on his pants and stood up, he walked unsteadily to the living room.

As he entered he saw Mrs. Lovett sitting at the bay window, crying quietly.

Sweeney did not know what to say so he coughed quietly.

Mrs. Lovett whipped around, her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"You're alive!!!" she cried running to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Sweeney smirked slightly.

Coughing he said "Indeed I am alive, but I won't be much longer if you keep crushin me"

She looked up at him. "Sorry…" She mumbled

"S'all right love" he replied kissing her on the head "I should be the one who is sorry".

He wiped away some more blood, making Mrs. Lovett whimper.

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Your face… I can't believe I hurt you" she sobbed.

"Oh don't worry love, it doesn't hurt me. What's a little cut" he replied.

She shook her head. "Look in the mirror" she pulled him to the closest mirror.

Sweeney looked at his reflection. His face was covered with blood, new and dried, his eyes were dark and sombre. He looked at his cheek, right below his right eye was a deep but thin cut, he knew instantly that it was going to scar, blood flowed steadily from the wound, which he tried to brush away.

Mrs. Lovett was looking down at her hands, she felt horrible for what she had done and she felt no amount of apologies would fix it.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled again.

"It's alright, I understand why you did it. I'm sorry for scaring you… its just, I think I'm becoming what I used to be… And I don't want to hurt you"


	12. Chapter 12

**_OH MY GOD IM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! things were just so hectic and busy, i was kinda loosing interest. I'll try really hard to update. Please enjoy this, though it might suck i dunno. _**

As Mrs. Lovett slept soundly, Sweeney sat restlessly next to her. Tried as he did, he could not sleep, though this wasn't unusual for him he had, had terrible insomnia during the years he was away from Mrs. Lovett.

Deciding that it was pointless Sweeney quickly slipped on his boots and went for a walk.

The streets were completely empty, the moon hung brightly in the sky lighting up his path.

As he walked down the street he noticed a man stumbling slightly in the distance towards him.

Seeing as the man was obviously drunk, Sweeney switched courses to try and avoid him. It wasn't that he wouldn't be able to handle the drunk, but more that he didn't want to.

Looking back he saw that the man was now following him. Slowly he turned on his heels to face him.

"May I help you?" he asked the drunken man as he neared him.

"You're the man who's with that wench" he slurred stumbling slightly.

"Excuse me?" Sweeney spat curling his hands into fists.

"You heard me. You're the man living with that whore" he said again, poking Sweeney in the chest aggressively

Sweeney's face twitched slightly with rage as he glared at the man, his eyes cold and murderous.

"Excuse me?!" Sweeney asked again, this time harsh and angry.

The man's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed.

"Are you deaf? You're the man who's living with that idiotic whore from the bake shop. How much you payin' her, huh?" the man said rudely, pushing Sweeney back with both hands this time.

Quickly Sweeney's fist shot out coming into hard contact with the man's face sending him toppling backwards.

Sweeney was over him in a second, driving his fists hard into the man's face and stomach, ignoring his cries as bones snapped and skin tore.

"Don't-you-ever-say-anything-about-her" Sweeney screamed between punches.

"I'm sorry!" the man chocked out, spitting up large amounts of blood.

Punching him one final time in the face he stood up, looking down at the mess he had made.

His face was covered in blood, some was the man's and some was his own. During the brutal beating the cut on his face had split open and started bleeding again. He looked down at his hands, he wasn't sure exactly how much blood was his or the man's. There was a series of violent cuts along his knuckled from his teeth and button's on the man's vest.

Hastily he turned and headed back to the shop, still in a rage.

_How dare he, I swear I just want to go back and- _he screamed aloud, his feet pounding into the earth and he strode down the street.

Stopping in his tracks he turned back towards where the man lay in his blood and started towards him, stopping himself he turned and headed towards the shop once more.

_Don't kill him... Don't kill him... Don't kill him! _His mind shouted.

Letting out another heart wrenching scream, his hands ran through his hair gripping it slightly as he curled into himself, his body shaking with rage.

_No I can't kill him! I can't wreck what Mrs. Lovett has worked so hard for! _His mind continued to scream as he started to walk again.

It was insane, the rage was almost unbearable. It hurt, unable to release it in the way that he wanted made his chest ache agonizingly.

_I've changed, I promised her I changed _he said clearly trying to convince himself not to go back.

He couldn't stop it, his mind unintentionally drifted back to all the wrongs in his life.

The judge, losing his daughter, all the years he spent working his way back to London to his family... useless, losing the chance to kill the judge the first time, Senior Pirelli trying to blackmail him, Anthony being careless with Johanna, killing his wife, losing Mrs. Lovett, and Toby being nosy and rude, sceptical and untrustworthy.

Sweeney turned and stormed into the shop, ripping the door open making it slam loudly into the wall. It was early and everyone was sleeping but that didn't bother him. Nothing could make him angrier than he already was.

Mrs. Lovett came rushing into the kitchen, a worried look on her face. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood drenching his features.

"Mr. T what-" she asked pausing when she saw how much he was shaking.

Sweeney looked at her with cold eyes, he hadn't meant to but there was no other option.

His breathing was harsh and uneven as his calming attempts bounced feebly off his anger.

"I didn't kill him" he growled through his teeth "I wanted to but I didn't" he continued in the same tone "I _want _to but I can't, I won't" he slammed the door behind him.

"Oh Mr. T" she said sympathetically walking towards him.

Sweeney quickly backed up, pressing his back against the door.

"Don't" he said quickly "I can't- Don't"

He knew that if anyone touched him he would lose it and do something he would regret.

"Love, calm down" she said cautiously from a distance.

There was a series of loud footsteps followed by Toby immerging from the stair way.

"I knew it!" he cried running towards Sweeney "I knew you would wreck our life here" he said accusingly

"Toby no!" Mrs. Lovett cried, reaching out to grab Toby, but missed.

She watched in horror as Toby punched Sweeney hard in the stomach.

As if he hadn't felt it, Sweeney grabbed Toby by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"I swear boy, if you live through this, touch me again and I'll make sure the next time you don't" he spat before tossing him onto the floor.

Unwillingly he kicked the boy hard in the ribs. He didn't want to harm Toby but his anger was no longer in control, he was no longer thinking rationally.

Toby cried in agony as Sweeney's boot met his ribs painfully.

Grabbing him again he slid the boy across the room, making him hit the wall hard.

"Mr. T, no!" Mrs. Lovett cried, unable to help.

Sweeney took no notice of her cries and continued his assault on the boy, driving another hard kick into his stomach.

Toby weakly rose to his feet, only to get a hard punch to the face

That's when it stopped, everything just stopped, the anger stopped, his attack on Toby ceased as he stumbled back breathing hard and fast.

"I'm so sorry- Toby I didn't mean to- I can't believe I-" he couldn't finish any of his sentences, nothing made sense to him anymore. He stood in a daze, clutching onto the table that he was leaning against.

Mrs. Lovett ran over to Toby, helping him up she sat him down in a chair and turned to Sweeney.

"I told you all I could do is hurt people" he said blankly to Mrs. Lovett who was watching him cautiously.

"Oh love, no that's not true" she said trying to comfort him.

"It is, you know it is. I'm a terrible person, a monster" he said still shaking

Mrs. Lovett slowly walked over to him, making sure that he was ok with her being close.

He stared ahead at Toby with horrified eyes, clearly disturbed by what he had done.

Carefully she pulled him into a tight hug, not bothered by the fact that he didn't move from his previous position.

Sweeney was still shaking, he couldn't look away from the boy. His eye was bruised and his nose was bleeding, he was clutching his stomach clearly his ribs were broken.

"What have I done?" Sweeney groaned miserably.

His self loathing occupying every space in his mind, making it almost impossible to concentrate

"What happened dear?" Mrs. Lovett asked, letting go of Sweeney to look up at him.

Sweeney was silent for a moment. He couldn't think, he just started at Toby hoping that he could somehow undo what he had done.

"I- uh- A man" he couldn't remember what to say "a man insulted you and I- I set him straight... he was drunk and I- I showed him the consequences of saying things like that" he said in a daze.

_I can't believe I've- I mean I don't like Toby but he doesn't deserve that, no child deserves that- the rage was so- what's wrong with me? How can I be so- so- horrid _his mind raced as he gripped the table roughly.

"Mr. T, look at me" Mrs. Lovett said grabbing his shoulders.

He didn't.

"Mr. T, you need to look at me" she said shaking him slightly.

He didn't

"Sweeney Todd look at me" she demanded shaking him again.

Shocked by the use of his first name he looked down at her, his eyes pained.

"Good, now what happened to the man" she asked gripping him tightly.

"I beat him" Sweeney said bluntly, still dazed.

"Into what sort of state?"

"A terrible state" he admitted looking down at his feet.

"Alright well, let's forget about all this. We need to bring Toby to the doctor" she said, looking at the crying boy with motherly eyes.

Sweeney didn't do anything for a moment, then nodded.

Quickly Mrs. Lovett ran over to Toby, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Toby, we are going to get the doctor here first thing in the morning alright? Can you promise you won't say anything about Mr. T?" she asked quietly.

Sweeney walked slowly towards Toby.

"I'm sorry Toby. Please forgive me, I had no intention on hurting you. If you had heard what that man said about Mrs. Lovett you would have been the same rage I was. Please I need you to understand" he pleaded standing beside the chair.

Toby looked him at him, his nose still bleeding furiously. Sweeney flinched as the boys appearance stabbed at him painfully.

"I understand" Toby said, his voice was airy.

Mrs. Lovett was crying as she tried to choke out the next words to Toby.

"Mr. Todd is going to have to carry you upstairs, is that alright?" she asked carefully.

Toby nodded, still holding his ribs.

Hesitantly Sweeney bent down and picked up the boy with ease, making sure he didn't shift him in his arms.

Wordlessly he carried him up the stairs to his bedroom, Mrs. Lovett right behind them. Delicately he placed Toby on his bed, backing up quickly.

"Toby, do you think you will be alright?" Mrs. Lovett asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He nodded "they aren't that badly broken, I've had worse in the work house. I'll be fine" he said smiling slightly.

Mrs. Lovett choked back sobs as she nodded, standing up she walked out of the room followed by a rushed Sweeney.

They reached the kitchen where Mrs. Lovett slumped down into a chair, sobbing quietly.

"What have I done" Sweeney muttered to himself "I can't believe I-" he stopped and looked up at Mrs. Lovett

"Why?" he asked quickly

"Why what?" she replied wiping tears from her face

"Why do you keep taking me back? Even though I almost killed him" he paused "I'm destroying your life unintentionally. You could find someone so much better than me, someone who never gets angry and can help you more often and-"

"I don't want anyone else. I love you, I always have. We understand your anger and we are fine with it. Toby understand you now, and he respects that. You have brought me so much joy, I can't even begin to thank you enough for everything you have done" she said standing up and walking towards him.

Sweeney stared disbelievingly at her.

Standing there for a moment, he felt his knees buckle underneath him as he collapsed to the floor.

"You are too good for me" he said his voice shaking.

"I hate who I am, but somehow you don't" he added.

"You are a good man, with a bad past. That doesn't make you a bad person" she said kneeling next to him.

"No but the fact that I killed people, I beat a young boy twice, and I left the love of my life to crumble to pieces for two years before I realized that was the biggest mistake in the world" he tried to shoot himself down.

"You killed people to avenge your family. The first time Toby mouthed off, the second you were enraged from defending what you thought was right. And you realized your mistake none the less. Sweeney Todd you are a good man" Mrs. Lovett said shooting down all his arguments.

"How can you keep finding the positives?" he asked looking up at her.

"Because I love you" she replied hugging him tightly.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Alright so sorry if this was a little over dramatic... it just sort of felt needed. It might be a little short. sorry for that too. Please be aware... I hate Toby, not the character, just what happened at the end of the actual movie. Anyways enjoy._**

Sweeney sat in Mrs. Lovett's arms for what seemed like ages. He couldn't argue anymore, he didn't even want to speak.

"I'm tired, I'm going to have a bath" he said grimly as he stood up and walked over to the washroom.

Filling the tub he stripped down and stepped into the warm water, washing the blood off his hands and face.

_What am going to do now? _He thought to himself sighing loudly and slipping further into the water.

Fully immersing himself in the tub, he sat under the water holding his breath for as long as he possibly could, maybe even longer.

There was a muffled knocked followed by a panicked voice.

He ignored the noises and continued to hold his breath, he knew he couldn't last much longer.

"Mr. T?" Mrs. Lovett called through the door, unsure of whether or not she should go in.

Sweeney could feel his lungs demanding oxygen but it didn't matter to him, he just stayed submerged in the water.

"Mr. T?" she called again, more concerned this time.

Pushing open the door she saw him under the water and panicked, gasping loudly she ran over to the edge of the tub, reaching into the water latching desperately onto his arm.

Sweeney felt the tight grip on him just as he took in a breath of water, choking slightly.

Mrs. Lovett yanked him up to the surface still not letting go of his arm.

Feeling himself being pulled upwards, coughing up water he doubled over into himself, shaking with every cough, ridding his lungs of the intruding liquid as he took in gasps of air.

"What were you thinking?!" she cried shaking him slightly.

Sweeney didn't say anything, he just sat in silence breathing heavily.

"Well!?" she asked, her voice cracking

"I'm sorry" he said quietly "I wasn't thinking"

"Sure as hell you weren't" she was choking back the tears that stung her eyes.

Looking straight ahead Sweeney fought the urge to slide back down under the water.

"You- you promised you wouldn't leave me again" Mrs. Lovett said tears running down her face.

His heart clenched, she was right he did promise her that and he had the intention on keeping that promise, but the self loathing and misery tore at him brutally.

"I won't. I'm sorry" he said gloomily.

"Then why were you trying to drown yourself?" she asked letting go of him and standing up.

"I don't know" Sweeney replied quietly "I just don't want to hurt you anymore. I don't want to jeopardise everything you've worked for because of my stupid actions. I don't want to cause the life you have to deteriorate"

"Don't you get it? As long as you're with me I am happy, I don't care about your actions as long as I get to be with you. Toby forgave you after everything. And you still want to leave all that behind?" she sounded almost angry.

Grabbing a towel she held it out for him, turning her head slightly.

"Get out of the water" she demanded.

Slowly Sweeney pushed himself out of the tub, grabbing the towel he wrapped it around his waist as he stepped out onto the cold bathroom floor.

"You're not coming back in here, understand?" Mrs. Lovett sounded devastated

Sweeney nodded and slowly walked out of the room and into the bedroom.

Silently he dressed and sat down on the side of the bed, his wet hair falling in his face.

Mrs. Lovett stood in front of him, playing with the trim of her dress.

"I don't even know what to say anymore. Clearly you'd rather be dead than be with us" she said sobbing quietly.

Sweeney looked up at her with hurt eyes "that's not true" he said lovingly "I want to be with you forever, but I'm a terrible person and I don't deserve to have a life as amazing as this one"

"Why? What makes you think that you don't deserve this? Everything you've done was for a reason, why can't you see that. You have been wronged so many times, now it's your turn to be happy" she said stepping towards him.

Sweeney swallowed hard, taking one of her hands he pulled her down next to him.

"I love you" he said bluntly

She smiled "I know, I love you too, please don't ever scare me like that again" she pleaded squeezing his hand.

"I promise" he replied.

She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Quickly he turned to face her, swiftly his hand went to the back of her neck, pulling her towards him he kissed her hard and passionately. Letting go of her hand, he cupped her cheek delicately as her arms slid over his shoulders, holding him close to her.

When the kiss was done they were both breathing hard.

"Get some sleep, you look exhausted, though I'm not sure I look any better" she said stroking his cheek gently.

He nodded "I am"

Slowly Mrs. Lovett stood up, getting changed quickly she slid onto the bed next to him, nuzzling in her usual spot against his chest.

Sleep came quickly to both of them.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Erhm... so near the end of this chapter i was kinda distracted. Sorry if it sucks and isnt like medically correct... I havent taken biology yet. Anyways enjoy_**

Sweeney awoke the next day with Mrs. Lovett in his arms as usual.

Sighing loudly he relaxed his muscles, letting his head sink into the soft pillows. Despite what he had promised Mrs. Lovett, his depression still clung to him with a vengeance.

_I won't leave her, I promised _he thought staring up at the blank ceiling.

Mrs. Lovett shifted slightly in his arms, making him stiffen. He hated waking her up, which sadly he had been doing a lot lately.

Once he was sure she wasn't awake he continued with his thoughts.

_I know she loves me, and I love her, but I can't help feeling like I'm destroying her life. I want to be with her forever but I don't want to hurt her in the process. And Toby, god what have I done to that boy? He's just so aggravating sometimes and he doesn't understand to stay away from me when I'm angry... But that doesn't excuse what I've done to him, nothing will excuse that. _

"Mr. T, you awake?" Mrs. Lovett asked looking up at him.

He nodded "not long though"

She snuggled closer to him "what are you thinking about? For years I've wanted to know what you're always thinking of" she said listening to his heartbeat.

"No you don't, my thoughts are never pleasant and I would hate you bring sorrow onto you because of my twisted mind" he said grimly still staring ahead.

Mrs. Lovett frowned "you never think of anything happy? At all?" she sounded almost disappointed

"I do, but rarely. When my thoughts are about you they are happy" Sweeney was leaving out the part of how his thoughts could still be grim even when of her, thoughts of hurting her unintentionally and whatnot.

"Are you feeling better today?" she asked hugging him slightly.

"Yes" he lied "what day is it today?"

"The 10th why?" she said looking back up at him quizzically.

"Because, your birthday is this weekend" he replied smirking slightly.

_God I hope nothing goes wrong that day _he thought desperately_ and I hope I don't do anything wrong_

"You remembered?!" she squeaked cheerfully.

"Of course, I would never forget that" Sweeney may be cold and cruel, but uncaring he was not "I'm going out to find you something this afternoon. I would have done it sooner but with all that's happened it was a bit tricky to get away"

Mrs. Lovett sat up happily, her hair was tousled from sleeping. One of the thin straps on her nightgown was slipping off her shoulder slightly.

Sweeney smiled at her, she was stunningly beautiful.

Pushing himself up he wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close he slid his hand up her arm, pausing right before the fallen strap.

Leaning in he kissed her shoulder carefully, making a trail of kisses across her collar bone to her jaw.

"I'm so sorry for everything" he whispered in her ear before continuing with his trail. Reaching her lips he kissed her gently before pulling away, earning a quiet whimper of disappointment.

"You know I forgive you" she said, her voice almost inaudible.

She gasped, now coming back to reality.

"Toby, we need to get the doctor to see Toby!" she said panicked, quickly she jumped out of bed pulling a rather casual dress over her nightgown, not bothering with a corset.

Sweeney followed her lead, swinging his legs over the bed he jumped out, quickly getting dressed.

"Go see the boy, I'll fetch the doctor. Tell Toby to agree with the story I tell the doctor" he said pulling on his boots.

"What might that be?" Mrs. Lovett asked fixing her hair.

"He fell down the stairs when he rushed to help you in the kitchen" Sweeney said walking to the door.

"Should I be concerned that you're a good liar?" she asked following him out.

"I would never lie to you, you know that" he said, and with that he was gone.

--

Mrs. Lovett rushed upstairs to Toby's room. Gently she knocked on the door before slowly pushing it open.

There Toby lay, exactly where Sweeney had put him the night before, fast asleep.

"Toby dear?" she whispered, unsure about waking him.

Sitting down on the bed, she touched his shoulder cautiously.

"Good morning mum" Toby said groggily, looking over at her.

She smiled "did you have any troubles sleeping?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head, his face was still covered in blood.

"Toby we need to get you cleaned up, the doctor will be here soon" she said unsure of how she was going to manage that.

"Alright, what should I tell him?" he asked trying to sit up.

She helped him propping him up with multiple pillows.

"Mr. T is going to tell the doctor you fell down the stairs when you rushed to help me in the kitchen" she explained as she went to the washroom and retrieved a bowl of warm water and a washcloth.

"That sounds legit" Toby said smiling slightly.

Placing the bowl down on the table next to him she went to one of his drawers and pulled out a new pyjama shirt, walking back over to him.

"This might hurt, but we need to change you out of your blood splattered shirt" she said wearily.

"That's fine, but do you mind helping me?" he said as he started to unbutton his shirt.

"Of course love" she said helping the boy out of his stained shirt, gasping quietly as the large bruise covering his side and partially his chest "oh dear lord" she whispered, placing a hand over her mouth.

Toby placed a hand on her shoulder "it's alright, it doesn't hurt anymore, not unless I move really fast"

She nodded and helped him put on the new shirt. Once he was changed she dipped the washcloth into the warm water and began to gently clean the blood off his face, making sure she didn't touch his broken nose.

"Toby, Mr. Todd is very sorry, there is no possible way to describe how sorry he is" she said cleaning the last of the blood off.

"Yeah I'm sure he is" Toby said dryly.

"He is, you have to believe that" Mrs. Lovett said almost pleading the boy to understand.

"And what is there for proof that he's not lying" he replied in the same tone.

"He tried to kill himself" she retaliated.

Toby froze "why?"

"Because, he thinks he is ruining our lives, he doesn't enjoy hurting you and he thinks he's destroying everything we've worked for. He thinks that leaving would be better" she said her voice dark and serious.

"But he can't leave!" Toby protested, tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't help it, he had grown to like Mr. Todd's presence and he loved seeing his mum happy, him leaving... or worse dying would crush her even more than the first time.

"I know, he promised he wouldn't but I think that his depression might be overweighing the promise" she explained sitting down on the bed again.

"Why is he so depressed? Nothing really bad has happened" Toby said clearly not understanding.

Mrs. Lovett looked at him, her eyes pained "sometimes what seems like nothing to one, is really something catastrophic to another. He doesn't want to be like he used to be, he doesn't want to hurt people anymore. But to shield us that's exactly what he did, and then not only did he hurt someone else in an attempt to protect us, he hurt you completely obliterating the purpose of his first act" she paused "Mr. Todd's anger is something he painfully has to live with. Try as he might it's not something he can easily control, so when you hit him it sent him over the edge. Toby he had no intention on hurting you, and the fact that he did sent him into a wave of depression. The guilt and horror he feels is getting to an unbearable point" she finished explaining and sighed loudly.

Toby sat still, not saying a word.

--

Urgently Sweeney strode down the streets towards the doctor's office. Finally reaching his destination he pushed open the doors and walked in.

"How may I help you?" A man in a white medical jacket asked

"I need you to come to Mrs. Lovett's bake shop with me, her boy fell down the stairs last night and is severely injured" Sweeney explained in a rather rushed manner.

Without a word the man nodded and followed Sweeney out the door.

Hastily the two men walked down the street towards the bake shop. Pulling open the door Sweeney held it so that the doctor could walk through ahead of him.

"Up the stairs" Sweeney said bluntly, following the man up the stairs "first room on the right" he added as they reached the top.

The doctor knocked on the door once before pushing it open and walking through.

Sweeney followed them in to see Toby sitting on the bed, Mrs. Lovett had gone to dispose of the bloody water in the washroom.

After they walked in, so did Mrs. Lovett, her face grave and worried.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Richard Venas" Dr. Venas said turning to Mrs. Lovett, greeting her with a warm smile.

"Morning, I'm Mrs. Lovett, this is Sweeney Todd" she said her voice rather flat.

"So what seemed to have happened? Mr. Todd told me that he fell down the stairs?" Dr. Venas said walking towards Toby.

"Yes, he hit his face and we think he broke some ribs" Mrs. Lovett said calmly.

Dr. Venas nodded.

"Morning son, I'm going to check your ribs first, is that alright?" he asked Toby who nodded pulling up his shirt to expose the bruised torso.

The Dr frowned "tell me if this hurts" he said pulling light pressure on Toby's ribs causing him to yelp quietly.

"I'll take that as a yes" he said examining his chest "alright it looks like you have about 2 broken ribs, I'll need to put them back into place in a moment. You also said he hit his face?" he asked turning to Sweeney.

He nodded "there was a fair amount of blood but Mrs. Lovett helped him wash up this morning"

Dr. Venas leaned in inspecting the boy's swollen and bruised nose, carefully he put a light amount of pressure on it making Toby gasp and pull away.

"Yes you're right, it does seem to be broken. I'll have to realign it as well" Dr. Venas said with a rather sympathetic look.

Slowly he stood up to face Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett "I think it would be best if you left for when I reset the bones, it's a rather painful process and I don't think you would want to witness your boy in pain"

Silently they agreed and walked out of the room down the stairs.

Sweeney was silent, he couldn't bring himself to speak. Seeing Toby made him feel even worse than he had before.

"Are you alright dear?" Mrs. Lovett asked placing her hand on his arm.

He flinched slightly at the unexpected touch "I'm fine" he said quickly making Mrs. Lovett frown.

"You said you wouldn't lie to me" she said still frowning.

"I'm sorry, you're right" he replied looking down at his feet.

"Well then, are you alright?" she asked again, a little irritated.

"No, I'm not. Toby is going to have to go through grave pain because of me, and it's almost impossible for me to have to endure the thought of that" Sweeney said his voice full of agony.

Mrs. Lovett held him tight "he forgave you, and he doesn't want you to leave" she whispered in his ears.

They stood for a moment awaiting the pained cry's that would soon immerge from Toby's room.

As expected they heard Toby cry out as the doctor realigned his broken bones. Sweeney gripped Mrs. Lovett`s arms, shaking as he endured the stabbing anguish that came with the sounds of Toby's pain.

"It's fine love, he'll be fine" Mrs. Lovett said stroking his arms in an attempt to comfort the obviously tortured man.

"But it's my fault, and somehow he still forgave me" Sweeney said more to himself that Mrs. Lovett his voice a whisper.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Ok... So I really hope you guys like where this is going. I figured some happiness was in order after all the depression, pain etc... Please LEAVE COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS any of the sort. Tell me honestly if you dont like how I've done this or where it is going. I would really apreciate it. _**

Eventually the cries diminished and there was the sound of a door being opened.

Dr. Venas walked down the stairs towards Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney.

"Everything is back the way it should be. His ribs should heal at the earliest in about six weeks, the nose is an un-estimated time. He should refrain from any activities until his ribs are healed, make sure he gets plenty of rest" the Dr said very seriously.

Sweeney nodded and showed the doctor the door thanking him on his way out. Closing the door behind him he turned to Mrs. Lovett who was already making her way up the stairs.

Sighing he followed her to Toby's room, standing awkwardly by the door while Mrs. Lovett sat down on the bed.

Toby was pale white and sweating furiously. Sweeney cringed slightly at the sight, the guilt stabbing at him once more.

"How are you feeling love?" Mrs. Lovett asked stroking the trembling boys arm.

"Fine, it really hurts though" he said his voice weak.

"I know love, it will get better I promise" she said reassuringly.

Toby nodded "can I talk to Mr. Todd for a moment?"

Sweeney froze, he stared at the boy in disbelief.

"Of course dear, I'll leave you in private" she said getting up off the bed and walking out the door.

Slowly the black haired man walked into the room, closing the door behind him "why do you want to talk to me?" Sweeney asked quietly, not meeting the boys gaze.

"You tried to kill yourself... why?" Toby said tilting his head quizzically.

"I-"Sweeney looked away "because I felt so bad for what I'd done to you. I'm only hurting you and Mrs. Lovett so why should I be alive? Like you said I'm a murderer and my life is worthless"

Toby tried to choke back the tears that blurred his vision "that's not true. I was wrong and I shouldn't have said that" he said, his voice shaking

"How can you bring yourself to forgive me? I've injured you repetitively and you didn't deserve this, but yet you lied for me and you forgave me. How?" Sweeney was confused, he didn't understand that despite everything he's done he's been forgiven.

"Because, Mrs. Lovett had warned me to keep my distance when you were angry and I didn't listen, she told me that you tried to kill yourself because of the guilt and that shows that you didn't mean it" he paused as the tears spilled over onto his cheeks "I don't want you to leave. Please don't leave us" Toby pleaded sobbing quietly.

Sweeney looked up, stunned by the boy's request. Slowly he walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down "you don't want me to leave?"

Toby shook his head

"Why? I thought you hated me"

"I thought I did too, but then when Mrs. Lovett told me what you tried, the thought of her being alone again and the thought of not having you around made me sad" Toby seemed very much like the child he was.

Sweeney smiled making the cut on his cheek throb uncomfortably. "I won't leave" he said kindly.

Toby looked at him his face wet from the tears "promise?" he squeaked

"Promise" Sweeney said

Slowly Toby slid over to him, wrapping his arms around Sweeney.

Taken by surprise Sweeney sat very still before hugging Toby awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for everything" he said releasing the boy.

Toby sniffled and nodded "me too"

"Get some rest" Sweeney said as he slowly stood up and walked out of the room to find Mrs. Lovett standing in the hall.

She looked over at him with curious eyes.

"He hugged me" he said bluntly

A bright smile spread across Mrs. Lovett's face as she rushed over to Sweeney "oh thank goodness!" she cried hugging him tightly.

Graciously Sweeney hugged her back "I promised him as well as you I wouldn't leave" he said quietly.

Mrs. Lovett held him tighter, making him chuckle.

"What?" she asked looking up at him.

"I said I wouldn't leave, but if somehow I end up being crushed by your copious amounts of affection, that will not count" he said jokingly.

She smiled once more.

Slowly they walked down the stairs, Mrs. Lovett holding Sweeney's hand affectionately.

Once they reached the bottom Sweeney stopped abruptly making Mrs. Lovett, who was following behind him, smack into his back.

"What is it?" she asked quirking a brow.

"I forgot I need to go out and find you a gift" he said quickly relinquishing her hand.

She laughed "oh alright, I might as well open the shop for the rest of the day"

Sweeney nodded, grabbing his jacket he raced out the door.

He had not noticed how cold it was outside when he left the first time, but now the cold bit at him as he strode down the streets.

_I can't believe I'm doing this... What will she say? What if she says no, what if she sends me away. _

His panic subsided as he went into the jewellery shop. Happy with himself that he had snatched one of her rings on his way out.

Sweeney walked up to the shop keeper, a rather frail looking young woman with shoulder length black hair.

"Hello, how may I help you" she asked kindly, smiling up at Sweeney.

He coughed once before holding out the borrowed ring "I'm looking for a ring in this size" he requested quietly.

"Any particular style?" the girl asked

He paused "it's for an engagement"

Her smile widened "congratulations sir, I'm sure she will be thrilled"

Sweeney nodded "I hope so"

Without hesitation the girl led him over to a display of gorgeous rings, some simple and some gaudy and over jewelled.

"Are you looking for something simplistic or flashy?" she asked pulling out tray after tray of rings.

"A little more than simplistic"

Instantly the girl pulled out a silver ring with a diamond centered in the middle, two smaller ones on either side.

Sweeney's eyes widened, it was perfect, nothing to extravagant and nothing that made it seem like he wasn't trying. It screamed Mrs. Lovett.

"How about this one?" she asked, turning the ring in her fingers so that he could get a better look.

"That's perfect!" he exclaimed happily.

The girl smiled "I'm glad, would you like to know the price?"

Sweeney shook his head "doesn't matter, whatever it is I'll pay it"

Nodding once the girl walked over to the counter and pulled out a black velvet box, placing the ring inside.

Hastily he made is way over to her. She told him the price and he paid without a problem, silently he watched her pull the ring back out and polish it gently before putting it back in the box.

"Here you go sir, congratulations once more" she said handing him the box.

He took it graciously tucking it inside his vest "thank you so much"

Quickly he marched out of the store, a wide grin across his features. For the first time, people's stares didn't bother him, nothing could wreck the mood he was in.

Reaching Mrs. Lovett's shop he pushed open the door, the chatter of busy people hit his ears hard, the smell of her baked good overwhelming his sent.

"Ello love" Mrs. Lovett called over to him over the sea of customers "go on to the back and once I'm done here I'll come find you"

He nodded, pushing past the people into the home portion of the shop. Happily he sat down on the sofa, awaiting Mrs. Lovett.

After sitting for what seemed like ages Sweeney decided it would be a good idea to go check on Toby.

Swiftly he made his way up the stairs and to the boy's room, knocking on the door lightly.

"Come in" Toby said quietly.

Slowly Sweeney opened the door, poking his head in.

"Hello. Uh I was waiting for Mrs. Lovett to finish up in the shop and decided to come check on you" he said

Toby smiled "that's very thoughtful of you"

Sweeney shrugged "I wouldn't be getting used to thoughtfulness from me" he said half serious.

"I would never" Toby replied.

Pushing the door open wider he walked in, pulling a chair over from the corner of the room.

"So how are you feeling?" Sweeney asked sitting down beside Toby.

"Not much better, I fell asleep for a little while, so I feel a little more awake but that doesn't help much"

He sighed "I wish there was something I could do" he admitted rubbing his eyes with his right index and thumb.

Toby's eyes widened "Mr. Todd what happened to your hands?"

Frowning slightly he looked down at his hand to see that his knuckles were all shredded and bruised.

"Oh, I forgot about that. It was from when I- uh, when I beat that man" he said, figuring that lying to the boy would be wrong.

Toby smiled, his face was relatively swollen from the broken nose, making Sweeney feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Toby?" Sweeney asked, looking over at the boy.

"Yeah?" he replied

He paused a moment, clearing his throat he continued on "what would you think of me asking Mrs. Lovett to marry me?" he asked shyly.

"Really! Oh she'd be so happy!! That's all she used to talk about. That's all she talks about now!" Toby cried enthusiastically "oh that'd be wonderful!"

Sweeney smiled, making his cut ache "I'm guessing you approve?"

Toby nodded vigorously "oh of course"

"Even though we've had our differences, you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all Mr. Todd"

Sweeney chuckled "Good, I'm glad. But promise not to tell her? I plan on making it a surprise"

Toby made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut, locking it, and tossing away the key "not a word. I promise"

"Thank you Toby" he said, getting up and walking out of the room.


	16. Chapter 16

**_OK... so basically you know I like the drama :) I figured since everything else had gone wrong so far... why not this? Anyways, I hope you guys like this._**

**_Inspiration credit goes to Cheyanne Connell 3 Love ya darlin. But yeah, this was defintily fun to write and THIS IS NOT THE END!!!! so please dont go thinking it is... Thanks everyone :)_**

The week continued on pretty regularly. It was rather hard for Sweeney to keep his mouth shut about what he had planned for Mrs. Lovett's birthday.

Seeing as Toby was injured Sweeney helped her around the shop, mainly picking up the dishes and keeping things tidy.

"Thank you for all your help today" she said kissing him gently on the cheek.

"You're welcome" he replied with a smirk "are you excited about tomorrow?"

She shrugged "'Dunno birthdays were never a big celebration when I was younger. I guess I'm not used to it"

Sweeney chuckled "well it's nothing to big, just you, Toby and I"

"True" she yawned

"You look tired, it's been a long day you should probably get some rest"

She nodded in agreement "come with me?"

"Of course" he replied wrapping an arm securely around her waist.

Sleep came to them both easily that night.

Sweeney awoke to the quiet sound of conversation outside the door. Shifting slightly he noticed the bed beside him was empty, Mrs. Lovett most likely talking to Toby.

Getting dressed he made his way out into the kitchen to see Toby sitting at the table, Mrs. Lovett making breakfast.

"Morning love" she called cheerfully over her shoulder

"Morning" he replied "I feel awful that I'm unable to make food for you, it seems wrong that you have to cook today" he added

"No it's all right. Besides I love cooking so its fine"

He smiled walking up behind her he kissed her on the cheek.

"There are still a few things I need to pick up, I'll be back in a bit alright?" he said hugging her waist.

"Alright, hurry that way you can have breakfast"

He nodded hurrying out the door.

Quickly he made his way down the street to the flower store. He was planning to buy Mrs. Lovett a single rose.

Sweeney wasn't planning on making this a very fancy proposal, in fact he wasn't quite sure how he was going to ask her.

Walking up to the store he noticed there was a man in what looked like a uniform standing in front of him.

"Excuse me" he said trying to step around the man

"You are under arrest" the man said in a harsh voice

"I beg your pardon?" he said freezing in his tracks.

"You are under arrest for the assault of Edward Steeves" the man repeated, grabbing onto Sweeney's arm and cuffing them behind his back.

"No please, any other day I need to be home tonight, please just take me tomorrow I can't miss tonight" he said pulling away from the man.

"You are forced to spend a week in jail and pay a fine of 172 pounds"

Sweeney struggled against the man's grip but it was no use "Can I at least tell the woman I'm staying with where I'm going?" he asked

"No, you can tell her in a week's time, now walk" the man ordered.

--

Eventually it grew dark out and Mrs. Lovett started to worry.

"Where do you think he is?" she asked Toby who was staring out the window.

"No idea, maybe he ran into some trouble or got lost" he said looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

"I hope he's alright" she said slumping down beside him.

--

Sweeney was pushed into his cell, getting a rather disgusting looking plate of food.

"Can you please deliver a message for me?" he asked gripping onto the cold bars in front of him harshly.

"No, now shut up" the guard spat

Groaning loudly he walked over to the cot, sitting down on it heavily.

_This is unbelievable_ he thought to himself, running his hands through his hair before resting his head in them _what am I going to do? She's going to think I left... and on her birthday. _

Refusing to eat the food he figured the best way to pass the time was to sleep.

--

3 days went by and still no sign of Sweeney.

"I can't believe it, he bloody up and left" Toby said as Mrs. Lovett helped into him nightclothes.

"No, he promised. Something must have happened he wouldn't just leave" Mrs. Lovett said, thought she was clearly trying to convince herself more than Toby.

"He must 'ave been lying, who just leaves... on someone's birthday!" he said in a huff

"I'm sure he'll be back, now get some rest Toby" she said helping him onto the bed.

He nodded and let her kiss him on the forehead before closing his eyes.

--

Sweeney sat on the cold floor of his cell, picking at the slop of food. It had no taste and the texture was horrid.

He didn't bother counting the days, the guilt of leaving Mrs. Lovett took up every space of his mind.

Every once and awhile one of the guards would come by and insult him or give him food, that was it. He was so eager to get out of there, to get back to his love and apologize for everything.

His clothes were covered in dirt and he had lost a good amount of weight, mostly from refusing to eat the food. His eyes were dark and hollow from the lack of sleep, making him in a sort of dreamlike state.

"Oi! You!" the guard called from outside the bars

Sweeney ignored him.

There was a noise and the bars slid open "you are free to go" the guard said

Sweeney looked up at him, unsure if he was serious. Assuming he was he stood up and walked over to the bars, waiting for the man to hit him like he had before when he did something he was supposed to, nothing happened... he just walked out.

"You have another week to pay the fine. Bring it to city hall before the time is up for you spend a month in here" the man said

Sweeney nodded and was lead to the exit.

The sun was harsh on his eyes, making him cover them with his hands to block out the light.

Gradually he walked out into the street, stumbling every once and awhile from exhaustion.

Eventually he found himself standing in front Mrs. Lovett's shop, unaware that he had gotten there that fast.

He stood there for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should go in.

After a few minutes he walked up to the door, pushing it open.

The shop was completely empty. He could hear someone coming down the stairs.

"Sorry we are closed" Mrs. Lovett called down to him.

She reached the bottom of the stairs before realizing who it was, instantly she froze.

"Oh dear god" she muttered at the sight of Sweeney. His clothes were filthy and hung off him slightly. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a week, or ate. He had faint bruises on his cheeks and his eyes were red.

"What happened?" she gasped walking over to him.

"I'm so sorry, I tried to get them to send you a message but they refused to" he mumbled as she led him to a chair.

"Who, who refused to?" she asked stoking his back in soothing circles.

"The guards"

She frowned in confusion "the guards? Where were you?"

"The jail" he muttered, still in a daze.

"What!" she shrieked making him flinch "what were you doing there?"

"They arrested me for beating that man" he replied

"Are you alright?" she asked

"I'm sorry" he said again, in all the time he had been there he hadn't looked at her

"It's alright love"

"No its not, I missed your birthday, I was gone for a week without a word. That's not ok" he said grimly

"It's not your fault, there was nothing you could do"

"It was my fault, I was stupid and beat that man"

"Toby thought you left" she said bluntly "we both did"

"That's why it's not alright. I told you I would never leave and here I go missing for a week"

"You're here now that's all that matters. Are you alright?"

Sweeney shrugged "I suppose"

"You look exhausted, and like you haven't had anything to eat all week" she replied looking him up and down

"I'm not hungry" he mumbled playing with his hands awkwardly

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked again bending over to see his face.

He turned to look at her "I was going to propose to you" he blurted out

"What?!" she gasped, startled by his words.

"On your birthday... I was going to ask you to marry me... I still want to, if you'll accept" he explained.

Mrs. Lovett didn't know what to say, she couldn't believe the words coming from him. All those years she dreamed of him asking her this but never thought it would happen.

"Yes! Of course!" she said enthusiastically.

Sweeney smiled the best he could, but everything he did at the moment looked rather grim.

Mrs. Lovett chuckled "I think you should get cleaned up and go to bed" she said helping him up.

He nodded in agreement before stopping and facing her.

She looked up at him in confusion.

Without a word he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him in a tight embrace.

She smiled holding him close "you don't know how happy I am" she said quietly.

**_A/N FOR THOSE WHO DIDNT READ THE TOP! THIS IS NOT THE END!!! _**


	17. Chapter 17

**_How hypocritical of me, I say how much I hate people to don't update right away and her I am, months later I give you a small chapter. _**

**_Basically this is just a little fluff leading up to the end... yes this is soon going to come to an end I believe, though I'm not sure when I hope you will all like it. _**

**_Trust me I am trying to get on writing more lately. But please enjoy this chapter, once again I'm sorry. _**

Before washing up Sweeney pulled Mrs. Lovett into the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked sitting down on the bed.

Without a word he walked over to his jacket, pulling out a small black velvet box.

"I wish this would have all been more organized. This goes with my proposal" he said holding out the box to her.

She took it quickly, gasping as she opened it to reveal a gorgeous ring nestled comfortably in the box.

"Oh my lord, it's beautiful!" she said slipping it on her annular finger.

"It looks perfect" he said standing in front of her, a small smile across his features.

"Thank you so much" she replied standing up and hugging him.

"You are very welcome" Sweeney said before kissing her lightly on the lips "you deserve the very best"

--

As Sweeney washed up Mrs. Lovett sat giddily in their room, twisting her ring around her finger, occasionally holding out her hand to look at it, before playing with it once more.

Sweeney relaxed it the warm water, it felt like he had been in the jail for ages. He sighed splashing the water onto his face to prevent himself from falling asleep and drowning.

Once clean he pulled himself out of the water, slipping on a new set of clothes he slowly made his way into the bedroom.

"Oh dear you look so tired, you should really get some rest" Mrs. Lovett said, jumping up and leading him over to the bed.

He nodded before swaying slightly "I really must agree with you on that"

She smiled walking around to the other side as he made himself comfortable, instantly snuggling up against his chest.

"You know I'm one of the luckiest people in the world" she whispered.

He chuckled "I love you"

"Love you too..." she trailed off, smiling as the man was fast asleep before he heard the end of her sentence.

--

Sweeney slept for what seemed like ages, occasionally Mrs. Lovett would peak in to see if he had woken up but to her disappointment he was still fast asleep.

"It makes sense" she said walking over to the table where Toby sat "I think I would sleep for days as well after that"

"Same" Toby agreed, nibbling on a cookie. The service hours of her shop came and went leaving her and Toby alone in the shop "when do you think he'll be up?" the boy asked, looking out the window to see the sun already setting.

Mrs. Lovett shrugged "not sure luv, but I say it's best just to let him rest"

Night rolled around quickly, making Mrs. Lovett begin to worry that he still hadn't woken up but pushed it aside. Toby sat at the table watching as she prepped for service the next day, she felt bad that they had been rather unreliable recently for when they were open, so she figured it would be a good idea to get back on schedule.

"You sure you wouldn't like help mum?" Toby asked as he continued to watch her work.

"I'm sure deary, you need to get better and running around the shop won't be helping you any" she replied with a warm smile.

Moments later she heard a door open followed by slow footsteps.

"I think someone's awake" Toby said with a smirk.

"Thank goodness, I was beginning to think he might be dead" she replied

"Who might be dead?" Sweeney asked as he walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You dear" she stated with a chuckle

Sweeney smiled, the scar from when she threw the rolling pin at him creased slightly "oh, sorry how long did I sleep?"

"Right through the day dear" she said walking over to him "it's alright though, how are you feeling?" she asked placing a hand on his cheek and running her thumb along the scar.

"Much better" he said taking her hand from the scar and kissing it.


	18. Chapter 18

**_Oh my god... this chapter was brutal to write... for some reason I just haven't been all that into it.  
I'm sorry if it's awful, I erased and rewrote this thing 3 other times. The dream sequence thing is actually from a Sweeney Todd/Phatom Of The Opera cross-over I started to write a long time ago xD. _**

**_I would really, really, really apreciate it if someone gave me some idea's, I'm totaly stumped and I want to update fast for you guys. SO IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING THEY WANNA SEE HAPPEN, PLEASE TELL ME AND I'LL TRY AND MAKE IT WORK!!!_**

**_Anyways, enjoy the 18th chapter of a story that probably should have ended a long time ago xDD_**

Sweeney awoke that morning with a groan, rolling over groggily.

He could tell that today wasn't going to be a good day for him, already he was in a bad mood.

Pulling himself out of bed he looked over to see Mrs. Lovett fast asleep, clearly not waking any time soon.

He slipped on a shirt and vest grabbing his boots and jacket he walked out of the room swiftly, glancing at a clock he quirked a brow at the time, it had been a long time since he'd woken up in the actual morning.

Putting on the boots and coat he walked out the door, the familiar frown set on his features like it had been for so many years.

As he strode down the street towards the jail he ignored the usual stares from the people, he needed to pay the fine and he didn't want them bugging him.

Pushing open the door he walked up to the desk "I'm here to pay the fine I was charged with" he said quickly.

"Name?" the man asked

"Sweeney Todd"

Waiting as the man rummaged through a drawer he pulled out a small file, opening it he grabbed a paper from inside placing it on the table.

"Mr. Todd" he said meditatively "you're fine is 172 pounds"

He grabbed the money out of his pocket and placed in on the desk, which the man quickly took and put into an envelope.

Turning to walk out of the room he stopped dead in his tracks as the man called out to him.

"Maybe next time you should think twice before assaulting someone" he said condescendingly.

Spinning on his heels to face the man, his eyes set in a dark glare "pardon me?" he asked, his hand automatically going to the razor sitting at his hip.

"You heard me, only someone stupid would assault a man and think nothing of it" he spat

"Even consider the idea I don't have a conscience?" Sweeney suggested dangerously "for all you know, assaulting that man could be the least of horrible things I've done. If I were you I'd be more careful who you speak to in such a manner"

The man's eyes widened as Sweeney approached the desk once more, the look in his eyes was pure murder "s-sorry sir, I-I didn't mean it"

His eyes still set in a glare he turned and marched out the door, leaving the man to shake silently behind the desk.

_This is why I never leave the house _he thought to himself, _people are imbeciles._

Storming out into the street his pushed his way through a group of people huddled inconveniently in the street, pushing a man out of his way. Grunting obnoxiously the man nudged him slightly.

"Don't touch me" Sweeney growled glaring at him. Taking a step back the man apologized before ushering the others around him into a store.

In minutes he arrived back at the bakery, pushing open the door roughing he stormed inside. The last thing he wanted right now was for Mrs. Lovett to see him angry but he couldn't calm down, everything went wrong around him, every possibly thing that could go wrong had for him.

Walking over to the sofa he slumped down resting his head in his hands.

Despite everything good that had happened to him, he couldn't help but focus on the bad things. He was most definitely a negative person, but he was lucky enough to have found someone who accepted that and didn't let him bring them down. Mrs. Lovett was truly a saint for dealing with him, chances are no one else would have been able to.

"It's not your fault you've been wronged" a voice said from the door, he looked up to see Mrs. Lovett standing there her hair dishevelled, still in her night gown.

"I know" he said quietly, his voice coated with sorrow.

Walking over to him she sat down "then why torture yourself?"

"I'm so used to not having anyone, so used to being alone that I just can't believe that for once I'm not" he sighed heavily "so many years I've spent in hell, I've just grown used to that"

Leaning closer she placed a hand on his leg "you're free now, and you have people who love you. I will always be here and you know that"

Sweeney nodded slightly, but she wasn't convinced. Not wanting to upset him she remained silent, sitting next to him, her hand still on his leg.

They sat together for what seemed like ages, Sweeney had moved from having his head in his hands to leaning back on the couch with his eyes closed.

It pained Mrs. Lovett to see him like that, but she knew there was nothing she could do to really help him.

"I'm sorry" he said quietly, not opening his eyes or moving in the slightest.

"For what?" she asked looking up at him.

"This..." he said referring to his current mood "I don't mean to be so..." he trailed off

Mrs. Lovett kissed his cheek softly "It's all right, I understand."

Unwillingly he began to feel himself drift asleep, the beginning of a dream edging its way into his mind.

_Sweeney struggled against the shackles clasped around his wrists but it was no use. _

_The town's executioner laughed at his struggle, gripping the chain that held his hands together firmly, he dragged Sweeney into the center of what seemed to be their courtyard, gesturing for the towns folk to watch as spectators. _

_Stumbling behind the man, Sweeney continued to be dragged to wherever it was they were going. _

_A small child tugged on his mother's dress, asking a silent question. The mother nodded her approval pushing the child towards where they were leading Sweeney. _

_Giggling deviously, the child ran up behind him, driving his small foot into the back of Sweeney's knee, making him grunt and drop down onto them. _

_The executioner laughed, taking a chain from the bench, in front of which he was kneeling unwillingly, and hooked it to the chain restraining his hands. _

_Swiftly Sweeney wrenched his hands away from the bench trying to break himself free, earning laughs from the spectators as he remained chained. _

_He tried again, mustering what little strength he had left as he ripped his arms away from their prison. _

_The sharp edges of the shackles cut deeper into his wrists than they ever had before, making him cry out in agony, instantly slacking the chain, trying to relieve the stress on the bleeding wounds. _

_The executioner grabbed a fist full of his hair, jerking his head back violently. _

"_You're not getting free" he spat, the mask he wore making his Spanish accent even harder to understand. _

_Sweeney tried to pull away, only making the man tighten his grip. _

"_I want you to grovel" he demanded, unhooking the long whip from his belt. _

"_No" Sweeney growled, his voice hoarse and strained. _

_The man grunted, throwing Sweeney's head forwards so that it came in contact with the bench, hitting it hard. _

_He could feel the warm blood running down his face. _

_Taking out a knife, the masked man slit open the back of Sweeney's shirt, ripping off the rest of it. Tossing the shredded article of clothing aside, he began to back up, dragging the long whip across the dirt._

_Sweeney kept his head down, taking the chain in front of him in his hands, gripping it hard as he braced himself for what was to come. _

_Sweat rolled down his back as the hot sun beat against his skin, making him wince as the sweat dripped into his unhealed welts on his back from the last town he was in. _

"_I see I am not de first to punish you for crimes" the man called over to him, twisting the whip in his hands "never de less, dat will make dis much more fun" _

_Pulling the whip back, the back brought it into the air, cracking it hard against Sweeney's back. _

_His grip tightened on the chains as he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. _

_Biting his lips together, he fought the cry trying to escape them. _

_Another crack, Sweeney trembled against the bench, warm blood flowing down his back. _

_Again, he squeezed his eyes tighter, his hands gripping the chain so hard it cut into his palms. _

"_Will you grovel now?" the man yelled bringing the whip down on him again. _

_Sweeney shook his head. _

"_Trying to be strong are you? Trying not to show your pain?" _

_The crowd laughed._

"_Cry, cry like a little girl" _

_Sweeney made no sound as the whip ripped more flesh off his back. _

_He could tell the executioner was getting angry with his silence, this made him smirk... he was getting to him, and that made him feel triumphant. _

_The whip came down harder this time, making him flinch. _

_It came again, the masked man screamed as he tore up Sweeney's back, he was getting angrier, and his lashings were getting harder and more frequent. _

_Bringing his arm up over his head, he cracked the whip as hard as he could. _

_Sweeney cried in agony, arching his back against the pain. _

_The executioners menacing laugh haunted him as he collapsed against the bench, shaking violently. _

_The sound of the spectator's laughter enraged him, but there was nothing he could do, he was in no position to threaten them to stop, or defend himself in any way. He was trapped. _

_Hooking the whip back onto his belt, the man walked over to Sweeney, unhooking him from the bench. _

_Sweeney didn't move, he didn't want to do anything, he just wanted to be away from these people. _

"_Get up" the man ordered _

_Sweeney didn't move. _

"_I said get up!" the man shouted_

_Grabbing onto Sweeney's shoulder, he pulled him backwards onto the dirt. _

_He whimpered as he hit the hard earth, the dirt mixing with his blood, sticking to the wounds making them burn. _

_The executioner grabbed the chain in between his wrist and began pulling him across the ground, making him cry out in pain, drowning out the town's laughter. _

"_Stop! Please!" Sweeney cried, silently cursing his vulnerability. _

_The masked man laughed "now you grovel, look everyone! De man who was apparently strong, is begging me to stop!" he leaned over Sweeney "you are not-ing but weak and feeble" he mocked. _

_Sweeney could tell, even with the mask on, that he was smiling. _

_Urgently he was lifted off the ground to his feet. _

_The man held him up by the shackles, making them dig into his wrists. _

_Taking his chipped and ragged nails, the man dragged them down Sweeney's back, making him gasp and choked back the tears stinging his eyes. _

_The executioner let go of the chain. Sweeney dropped to his knees, unable to stand. _

"_We are done wit him, his has paid for 'is crime" he said to another man in a mask, who walked out of the crowd carrying a set of keys. _

"_You can let 'im go" the executioner finished, turning and leaving Sweeney with the other man. _

_The newcomer chuckled as he looked down at Sweeney trembling on the ground. Dirt stuck to his back where blood had mixed with it and dried, though some of the welts were still bleeding fiercely. _

_Grabbing onto the chain just like the executioner had, the newcomer wrenched Sweeney up by, making him stand though he wasn't able to. _

_Taking the keys he shoved the right one into the lock, turning it quickly. _

_The first shackle clicked and fell off, making Sweeney groan as it took flesh with it, the second did the same._

_He crumpled back onto the earth. _

_Walking over to where Sweeney kneeled for the lashings, the man picked up the remainders of his shirt, tossing them at him before walking away. _

_At the man's exit the crowd followed, some of the children glanced back at Sweeney before disappearing in the distance. _

_He did not move for what seemed like ages. His back burned and throbbed, his head was pounding as he wiped the blood from his features the best he could. _

_Dragging his shredded morsel of clothing towards him, he slipped it on backwards so that the slit was in the front. Blood instantly staining the fabric and he tried to roll up the sleeves. His hands were dry and cracking, cut along his fingers were healing some but not much._

_Slowly he pushed himself off the ground, using the rock wall beside him as a support; he gradually started towards where he had hidden his bag the night before. _

_His feet were raw and sore from being forced to walk barefoot. His spirits lightened as he realised he was free to leave, free to be away from these people. _

_Sweeney was pleased by this thought, but couldn't avoid the anger building up inside of him as he thought about the executioner, and how he wished to go back and do the same to him. _

One day... _he thought _I will come back and show you the pain you caused me


	19. Chapter 19

_**Well hello there! Long time no read eh? Sorry I've been so unreliable with posting, I hate myself for it quite greatly. So basically this is just something I felt was needed, seeing as you've made it this far you obviously know I'm all about the drama xD **_

**_I hope that my long and drama filled never ending story is not pissing you off, I don't think many of you liked the last chapter very much because I didn't get any feedback at all :( Oh well, maybe you guys will like this one better!_**

Sweeney shot awake violently, taking in a gasp of air as he snapped out of the nightmare. He could feel the angry scars burning on his back violently as the memories of their cause spun through his mind.

"Love, are you alright?" Mrs. Lovett said frantically, placing an arm on his shoulder.

He jerked away, pain flaring through his arm as she touched him.

"Mr. T, are you hearing me?" she asked again

Taking in gasps of air he noticed his hand clutching onto the sofa. "Oh god, it hurts" he groaned to himself, the scars searing in pain as he tried to move.  
"What hurts love?" now desperate to make some sense out of what he was saying.

"The scars" he said, pain coating every word that escaped him.

Standing up he began working hysterically at the buttons of his vest, desperately trying to pull it off. As he tugged off his suspenders he pulled at the buttons of his shirt.

The pain of the fabric touching his back making his mind cloudy, yanking it off he felt only the slightest bit of relief as the scars were exposed to the air.

Mrs. Lovett gasped loudly as she stared in horror at the ragged skin of his back, there was hardly a section of the skin that was not brutally scarred by the frantic lines. His pain was made obvious to her as she gawked at the redness surrounding the lines.

"Oh my goodness" she said, standing up she slowly made her way over to him, being carefully not to touch him "love what happened?" she had seen him unclothed before, but had somehow never noticed the scars.

Sweeney clenched his teeth as he suppressed a groan. His head was spinning, the last time he'd felt pain like this was years ago...

"Mr. T, talk to me, what's wrong?" she was practically smothering him with question as he stood there, his hands clenched as he fought the urge to collapse.

"Please let me help! What do you need is there anything I can do?" she continued.

"Mr. T-"

"Shut up" he growled through his teeth.

Mrs. Lovett squeaked quietly at the sudden harshness in his voice.

"I-I-"

"Shut...Up" he said a little louder this time.

Taking a step back she remained silent, tears welling up in her eyes as she stood by helplessly and watched him suffer.

Sweeney swayed slightly, he collapsed onto his knees another wave of pain crashing through him.

Resting on his knees he bent forward, clutching his arms against his chest he cried out as the pain increased. He could practically feel the whip biting into his skin, ripping flesh from bone with every snap.

"Mr. T!" Mrs. Lovett screamed as she dropped down beside him "oh god, please let me help you" she begged, using all self control she had not to reach out and touch him.

Shaking his head he attempted to dismiss her effort at helping him "don't" he snarled though clenched teeth.

The sound of faint footsteps echoed from the stairs, making Mrs. Lovett turn to see Toby standing wide eyed.

"Toby!" she cried rushing over to him "everything's alright, please just go back upstairs" she said, desperately trying to usher him back to his room.

"What happened to him?" he asked, addressing the scars.

"I don't know" she replied, her voice cracking as she was near tears.

"We need to help" Toby demanded, trying to move down the stairs a little further

"No stop, he won't let me. And he surely won't let you"

Toby turned to look at her, she could see he was worried.

"But what if he dies?"

Mrs. Lovett swallowed hard "he won't die, please just go back upstairs. Everything will be fine I promise"

Reluctantly Toby returned to his room, closing the door just in time to cut Sweeney off mid cry.

Hurrying back over to him Mrs. Lovett paced the room, racking her brain for idea's that would help.

"Don't" Sweeney said, still hunched over on the ground "I know what you're doing, so don't"

"You need to let me help you" she said kneeling next to him

"No I don't!" he roared "I've never needed help before, and I don't need it now!"

He was praying silently that she would just leave him be, just let him suffer through the pain but he knew she wouldn't, she was too determined.

Not moving an inch she remained beside him, _you need help... why won't you accept that? _She thought to herself, silently getting frustrated with the man's persistence to suffer.

Feebly he tried to push himself up, unable to ignore the agony searing through him. Clamping his mouth shut he forced himself to remain silent as he maladroitly got to his feet, stumbling slightly.

"I have an idea" Mrs. Lovett said as she rushed into the kitchen.

Groaning to himself Sweeney leaned against the wall, unable to stand without the support.

Seconds later she had returned carrying a large wet cloth. "You may not want help, but I'm going to anyways and you can't stop me" she said defiantly

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. There was nothing he could do to stop her. He was clearly in no state to physically prevent her, nor was his mental state any better.

Vision blurring he struggled to stay conscious "stay with me" Mrs. Lovett said, causing him to snap out of the dreamy state momentarily.

He glared at her but she ignored it, walking to stand behind him with the cloth.

"Don't" he ordered harshly.

Without a word she pressed the cloth to his back, cold water running down from it.

Gasping he flinched away slightly, though she did not waver continuing to move it along the scars.

Unable to prevent a moan from escaping his lips, he gave into the cool feeling of relief as she slid the cloth along his skin.

"Help isn't so bad" she said with a smirk, feeling triumphant as he gave into her.

_I don't need help, stop this. Get away from me... _he thought, but the thought of the pain returning forced him to stay where he was _Stop Being Vulnerable! _His mind cried.

At that though he wrenched away from her, spinning so he was facing her shocked expression.

"Mr. T.... "she pleaded, taking a step towards him.

Moving quickly back he smacked hard into the wall, anguish blazing anew with the contact to the hard wood.

Choking on air he collapsed again, vision narrowing into dark tunnels as he slipped into an unconscious state.


	20. Chapter 20

**_HOLY HANNA BATMAN! It's been a very very very long time since I've done anything with this fic, and finally I've finished a chapter after many many many years, or months or something xD _**

**_ANYWAYS, I really hope that whoever reads this enjoys it! The end is soon to come, so be prepared folks. _**

Slowly Sweeney woke, his head throbbing wildly from hitting the ground.

"Are you alright?" a voice from beside him said quietly

He shook his head "no"

Mrs. Lovett sighed "can I get you anything"

"Just sit with me" he said quietly, his voice no longer held the anger merely disappointment.

Helping him up into a sitting position she moved to sit beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.

Sweeney sighed, trying to ignore the splitting headache and the pain in his back. It was nowhere near as bad as before, but still a dull pain gripped the scars slightly.

"Mr. T?" she said softly

"Hmm?"

"You are so bloody stubborn"

Sweeney couldn't help but chuckle, a small smile spreading across his features "Am I now?"

"Yes you are, the most stubborn man I've ever met"

"And I suppose that makes things hard for you?"

"Very" she gave him a light hearted glare "it would be so much easier if you just set your pride aside"

He chuckled again "I am right now, when have you ever seen me sit on the ground still unclothed from the waist up, beside you because I need someone just to _sit _with me"

Mrs. Lovett's expression changed to that of realization, he was right. For the first time in awhile he was showing her a softer side, one that did not worry about being strong and enduring but merely a Sweeney that wanted to be near her, to have her with him.

"When I decided to ask you to marry me, it was the best decision of my life" he rested his head against hers, their foreheads touching "I don't ever want to lose you"

The kindness in his voice was startling, sending her to a loss of words. She'd seen him be caring before, but never like this, she had never seen an emotion this pure.

"I- I-"

Smiling ever so slightly at her loss for words he kissed her lips softly, before placing another on her forehead "I love you"

* * *

Sweeney stood by the window, glancing out towards the buildings of the small town he'd made his home.

Months had passed and he'd managed to buy out that shop he saw when he'd first arrived, everything seemed to be going smoothly, Toby was fully healed and helping Mrs. Lovett with the shop seeing as business was booming.

Absentmindedly he polished his razor as he moved from the window over to the chair sitting in the center of the room. His parlour was set up much like that of Fleet Street, though the wickedly mechanical chair was missing as well as the multitude of blood stains, it was very familiar and calmed him ever so slightly.

Business had been going well for him, it didn't take long for word to travel of his immense skill in the tonsorial expertise.

Sheathing his razor he sat down in the chair, letting his head fall back lazily against it.

"Mr. Todd?"

The sound of her voice made him smile slightly "yes Mrs. Lovett?" the fact that even though they were engaged and still called each other by formal names made him smile even wider, it had become more of a nickname than an actual formality.

"Are you coming home for dinner?" she asked curiously, walking into the room to stand beside his chair.

"In a minute" he replied quietly.

Smirking she leaned down, pressing her lips gently to his.

Sweeney smile merely double in response before he opened his eyes reaching out and pulling her back towards him for yet another.

Giggling as he pulled her onto his lap she kissed him passionately, shifting so that she straddled his waist.

"Mr. T" she whispered softly in his ear.

"Hmm?"

"Your dinner's getting cold" and with that she was off him and starting towards to door.

Groaning quietly he pushed himself out of the chair and followed after her hastily "you are a cruel woman, you know that?"

She smiled triumphantly, leading him down the stairs and towards her shop and their home a few buildings away "oh I know"

Quickly he caught up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up before spinning her around playfully.

Mrs. Lovett shrieked girlishly before turning to face him the moment her feet were on the ground, happily she wrapping her arms around his neck a wide smile plastered to her features.

"I was thinking" he said, pulling her close to him "that we should have our wedding this spring"

Her face lit up as kissing his cheek "that's perfect!"

Sweeney smiled, the scar she'd left in his face creasing slightly. It was odd that an act of violence appeared only in times of happiness, Sweeney had told her time and time again that it was his fault and that she should not feel guilty, and so she'd learned to move on despite the twinge of regret she felt when she remembered where the scar was from.

"Then it's settled, in a few months you shall be my wife"

**_~~ Please review! It would be greatly appreciated 33 ~~_**


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